Trump says he wants to ‘get Cuba done’ when asked about use of military force

The president said earlier this week that he imagines the communist government will “fall fairly soon.”

President Donald Trump signaled in a new interview that he could take military action to topple Cuba’s communist government before he leaves office.

“I want to get Cuba done before I leave you,” Trump told conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt on Thursday when asked if he would order the use of military force against Cuba to free the nation.

Trump said his administration is “watching it very closely” and Cuba is “doing very poorly,” calling it a “failed” country.

The president said he would “certainly consider” taking military action against Cuba.

“Frankly, I’d love to be able to do it for the people, for the Cubans that came and were treated really badly, and they came to America,” he said.

Speaking about the Cuban government during an impromptu White House news conference Monday, Trump said, “I would imagine it will fall fairly soon.” At a Conservative Political Action Conference event at Mar-a-Lago last week, he said Secretary of State Marco Rubio is “going to work on Cuba” and joked “we’re going to drop him by parachute into Cuba.”

Trump made similar comments about Rubio during a campaign rally in Texas in late October, saying, “We’ll drop him in the middle of Cuba. He’ll solve that problem in about two minutes. No, Cuba’s coming our way, just like everything else is coming our way because we are a respected country again.”

Key Details of Trump’s Statements

Timeline: In a radio interview with Hugh Hewitt on November 12, 2026, Trump placed a timeline on addressing Cuba, stating, "I want to get Cuba done before I leave". [1]

Role of Marco Rubio: Trump pointed to Secretary of State Marco Rubio—whose parents are from Cuba—saying Rubio "would love to do it" and is working on the issue. [1, 2]

Characterization of Cuba: Trump described Cuba as a "failed" state or nation that is "doing very poorly" and claimed he imagines the government will "fall fairly soon". [1, 2]

Military Force: Asked if he would order military force to free Cuba, Trump replied that he would "certainly consider" a short military operation. [1, 2]

Broader Pressure and Context

Economic Squeeze: The comments follow an escalating U.S. maximum pressure and sanctions campaign, including a de facto oil blockade and Treasury Department sanctions targeting Cuban oil tankers, shipping companies, and government/military entities. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

Crisis on the Island: The U.S. restrictions and cutoff of external fuel supplies have severely aggravated Cuba's economic and energy crisis, leading to nationwide blackouts, food shortages, and acute fuel scarcity. [1]

Skepticism: Foreign policy analysts and observers remain skeptical about a full-scale U.S. military intervention, viewing the rhetoric as part of ongoing pressure or posturing following conflicts elsewhere, such as the war in Iran. [1, 2, 3]

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