U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed willingness to use military force in Cuba before he leaves the White House in 2029 [1].
"I want to get Cuba done before I leave," Trump told radio and talk show host Hugh Hewitt on the Salem News Channel [2][3]. "We're watching it very closely. It's doing very poorly. It's essentially a failed, you know, place, nation, whatever you want to call it. It's failed, and we're watching it," Trump said [3].
The remarks follow a year of escalating U.S. military and economic action in the Western Hemisphere. On Jan. 3, U.S. forces carried out a raid in Caracas that led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who was later transported to the United States and indicted [4][5].
U.S.-Israeli military operations against Iran were described by Trump in March as progressing "far ahead of schedule" [6]. Washington has enforced a fuel and oil blockade on Havana since earlier this year, a campaign that Cuban officials and outside observers say has contributed to a severe energy, economic and humanitarian crisis on the island [7][8].
U.S. Blockade and Humanitarian Crisis in Cuba
U.S. agencies have intercepted and seized fuel-carrying vessels and biodiesel shipments bound for Cuba, according to officials. U.S. Customs and Border Protection identified biodiesel shipments being exported from Port Everglades in Florida and the Port of Houston in Texas to ENETEC S.A., a Cuban wholesaler engaged in trading fuel, and the U.S. ultimately seized 90 biodiesel shipments worth more than $2.8 million [9].
The Coast Guard also reported that a tactical team boarded the M/V Grace, a 300-foot container ship, in the Caribbean Sea in early September and escorted it to Mexico, as the U.S. continued to enforce a ramped-up oil embargo that it said has caused a devastating humanitarian crisis [10].
The blockade has contributed to widespread blackouts across Cuba. Cuba's national electric grid suffered a total disconnection on July 6, leaving approximately 10 million people without power, according to the country's electrical workers' union [11]. U.S. officials have also examined a range of military options against Cuba, including a potential air assault involving thousands of U.S. soldiers, as the economic blockade pushed the island nation deeper into crisis, multiple U.S. officials told CBS News [8].
Cuba's top diplomat in the U.S., Lianys Torres Rivera, told Bloomberg that the Trump administration was unwilling to continue talks. She described the oil embargo as a "war without bombs" [12].
Trump's Comments on Cuba and Rubio's Role
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has publicly encouraged Cubans to work with the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to bring about change, saying in an Oct. 23 post on X that "now is the time" and urging those who seek change to "seize this opportunity to create the change you desire through a discrete partnership with the CIA" [13].
Trump's rhetoric on Cuba has varied over the course of the year. In a September interview, he said, "I think I'll have the honor of conquering Cuba," adding, "That wouldn't be bad. It would be a great honor. I can liberate it or conquer it, I think I can do what I want with it" [14].
In March, he told reporters at the White House that a deal with Cuba was possible. "I would say that Cuba and us will make a deal. I don't think we'll need the military," Trump said [15][7].
The mixed signals have been accompanied by concrete policy steps. The U.S. Department of State announced new sanctions on Aug. 6 targeting five entities and eight individuals involved in procuring weapons and military equipment from abroad for Cuba's military and security forces [16].
On Nov. 5, the administration announced additional sanctions targeting 10 individuals and entities linked to Cuba's military, shipping networks and foreign suppliers, part of what officials described as an escalating campaign to cripple the communist regime's revenue streams [17][18]. A United Nations General Assembly vote on Oct. 28 saw 130 countries vote to condemn the U.S. embargo, with 17 against and 25 abstentions [19].
Critics of the pressure campaign have described it as collective punishment. Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla accused Washington in May of manufacturing a "fraudulent case" to justify economic war and potential military aggression. The accusation followed an Axios report citing classified U.S. intelligence that Cuba had acquired more than 300 attack drones from Russia and Iran since 2023 [20].
No Official Announcement of Military Action
No official announcement of military action against Cuba has been made, according to U.S. officials. An internal Army Reserve message in September put a four-month window on the U.S. Department of War's contingency planning in the Caribbean, saying several kinds of Reserve units could be needed by U.S. Southern Command in 90 to 120 days, including military police, battlefield medical teams, engineers and logistics commands needed to sustain a major operation.
The memo did not name Cuba, and no deployment orders have been issued [21]. Multiple U.S. officials nevertheless told CBS News that the planning was related to Cuba [21][22].
The statements come amid heightened tensions between Washington and Havana. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said in August that "all options are on the table, to include military options" for Cuba, adding that Cuba "would be wise to pay attention to the willingness of President Trump to assert American strategic prerogatives" [22]. The fuel blockade continues, and there has been no indication of when or if military force might be used.
The broader regional context includes the January operation in Venezuela that captured Maduro and the ongoing U.S. military involvement in Iran, both of which Trump has cited in his public comments on Cuba [4][6]. Russian officials have promised "active support" for Cuba in response to the U.S. embargo, calling the pressure a "sanctions noose" and a return to an outdated Monroe Doctrine [23].
China has also vowed to support Cuba against external interference. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun reiterated that Beijing will support Havana in "safeguarding its national sovereignty" [24].
Conclusion
Trump's statements indicate a willingness to consider military options against Cuba before the end of his term, but they do not amount to a formal decision. The situation remains fluid, with no formal plans announced and no deployment orders issued. Officials have described contingency planning but have not confirmed any specific operation [21][22].
The remarks come as the administration continues to apply economic pressure through sanctions and the oil blockade, and as Cuba contends with an energy crisis that has left millions without power [11][9]. Further details were not immediately available.
References
- Donald Trump ready to unleash military to 'get Cuba done' before leaving office. https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/us-news/donald-trump-cuba-military-fox-37872590
- Trump says he wants to 'get Cuba done' before leaving office. https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/6217391-trump-wants-cuba-change/
- Trump Weighs Military Campaign to Free Cuba Before Leaving Office. https://theepochtimes.com/us/trump-weighs-military-campaign-to-free-cuba-before-leaving-office-6124425
- US signals expanded power in Western Hemisphere after Maduros capture with Trumps Donroe Doctrine - NaturalNews.com, January 07, 2026.
- Venezuela defies US vows continued alliance with Russia and China - NaturalNews.com, February 05, 2026.
- A swift campaign and a new target Trump touts Iran gains eyes Cuba - NaturalNews.com, March 07, 2026.
- Trump Predicts Cuba and US Will Make a Deal. https://www.ntd.com/trump-predicts-cuba-and-us-will-make-a-deal_1175281.html
- Pentagon weighs massive air assault on Cuba amid blockade crisis. https://www.naturalnews.com/2026-07-18-pentagon-weighs-massive-air-assault-on-cuba.html
- US Intercepts Nearly $3 Million in Illegal Fuel Shipments Headed to Cuba. https://theepochtimes.com/us/us-intercepts-nearly-3-million-in-illegal-fuel-shipments-headed-to-cuba-6101121
- US Coast Guard Says It Intercepted Ship Carrying Fuel To Cuba as US Continues Enforcing Ramped-Up Blockade. https://news.antiwar.com/2026/10/04/us-coast-guard-says-it-intercepted-ship-carrying-fuel-to-cuba-as-us-continues-enforcing-ramped-up-blockade/
- Cuba Goes Dark Again As Castro's Grandson Expresses Willingness to Talk With Trump - NaturalNews.com, July 08, 2026.
- Cuba Says US Waging a ‘War Without Bombs’ as Diplomacy at Standstill. https://news.antiwar.com/2026/09/01/cuba-says-us-waging-a-war-without-bombs-as-diplomacy-at-standstill/
- Rubio Urges Cubans to Partner With CIA to Bring Change to Communist Country. https://theepochtimes.com/us/rubio-urges-cubans-to-partner-with-cia-to-bring-change-to-communist-country-6108775
- Trump: Invading Cuba will be a ‘Great Honor’. https://ronpaulinstitute.org/trump-invading-cuba-will-be-a-great-honor/
- Trump Expects Deal With Cuba, Says He Doesn’t Think Military Action Necessary. https://theepochtimes.com/us/trump-expects-deal-with-cuba-says-he-doesnt-think-military-action-necessary-6095570
- US Announces New Sanctions on Cuba Targeting Military Imports.https://theepochtimes.com/us/us-announces-new-sanctions-on-cuba-targeting-military-imports-6072148
- Trump administration expands Cuba sanctions, targets military, shipping networks. https://www.naturalnews.com/2026-11-06-trump-expands-cuba-sanctions-targets-military-shipping-networks.html
- US Issues New Wave of Sanctions on Cuba. https://theepochtimes.com/world/us-issues-new-wave-of-sanctions-on-cuba-6118819
- UN votes 130-17 to condemn U.S. Cuba embargo as Washington lobbies shift in global support. https://www.naturalnews.com/2026-10-30-un-votes-to-condemn-us-cuba-embargo.html
- Cuba Accuses US of Fabricating Pretext for Potential Invasion - NaturalNews.com, May 20, 2026.
- JUST IN: Army Reserve Memo Signals Possible Cuba Operation Imminent. https://100percentfedup.com/just-army-reserve-memo-signals-possible-cuba-operation
- US Military Intervention in Cuba ‘On the Table,’ Hegseth Says. https://theepochtimes.com/world/us-military-intervention-in-cuba-on-the-table-hegseth-says-6074732
- An island facing ECONOMIC COLLAPSE Russia pledges to support Cuba despite a US sanctions noose - NaturalNews.com, May 25, 2026.
- China backs Cuba after Trump says island ‘will fall’. https://www.rt.com/news/646362-china-backs-cuba-trump-warning/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS
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