President Donald Trump recently suggested a possible “friendly takeover” of Cuba. “They have no money. They have no anything right now,” Trump told reporters. “Maybe we’ll have a friendly takeover of Cuba. We could very well end up having a friendly takeover of Cuba.”
PRESIDENT TRUMP: “Maybe we’ll have a friendly takeover of Cuba… We have people living here that want to go back to Cuba.”pic.twitter.com/GXJNDhmMOV
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) February 27, 2026
The comment came as Cuba struggles with a severe economic crisis. Border troops recently killed four Cuban residents of the United States and wounded six others during a confrontation. Florida lawmakers quickly demanded regime change after the incident.
Trump tied the idea to Cuban exiles in the United States. “Something could — I think very positive for the people that were expelled or worse from Cuba that live here,” he said. “We have people living here that want to go back to Cuba. They’re very happy with what’s going on.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has tried to frame things differently. He emphasized economic reforms first. “Cuba’s fundamental problem is that it has no economy,” Rubio told Bloomberg News. He added that reforms could eventually create space for political changes.
Rubio on Cuba:
The fundamental problem Cuba has is that it has no economy, and the people who are in charge of that country and in control of it don’t know how to improve the everyday lives of their people without giving up power over the sectors they control.
They want to… pic.twitter.com/reIGKXetq2
— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) February 14, 2026
Trump’s remarks echo his past comments about Venezuela. He once claimed the United States would run the country after capturing Nicolas Maduro. Now he uses the same phrasing about Cuba, treating a dangerous situation like a talking point.
Since taking office, Trump has taken a hard line on Cuba. He tightened travel and trade restrictions. He reinstated Cuba’s designation on terrorism lists. He blocked access to Venezuelan oil.
Earlier this year, Trump said Mexico, the main oil supplier to Cuba, would stop sending oil. He did not explain the full consequences. In January, he claimed, “Cuba will be failing pretty soon” because of declining oil supplies and tighter U.S. sanctions.
🚨🇺🇸🇨🇺 TRUMP: CUBA WILL BE FAILING PRETTY SOON
“Cuba will be failing pretty soon.
They got their money from Venezuela.
They got the oil from Venezuela.
They’re not getting that anymore.”
Source: @clashreport https://t.co/7TzmW0udMl pic.twitter.com/C0BGZVBoh6
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) January 27, 2026
The White House presents this as a win for Cuban exiles, but the reality is harsher. Ordinary Cubans are facing more shortages and more risk. The talk of a “friendly takeover” ignores the human cost.
The comments also risk international backlash. Allies may see it as reckless. The United States has no clear plan for governing a country in chaos. Yet Trump keeps framing it as a positive story for Americans living abroad.
Featured image via X screengrab
