During a speech at the Forum Club of the Palm Beaches in Florida on Friday, President Donald Trump announced that the United States would be “taking over” Cuba “almost immediately.” The president referenced his Cuban heritage, stating: “And he comes from, originally, a place called Cuba, which we will be taking over almost immediately.” He added, “Cuba’s got problems. We’ll finish one first. I like to finish a job.”
Trump also joked about U.S. military operations during the remarks: “On the way back from Iran, we’ll have one of our big — maybe the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier — the biggest in the world… We’ll have that come in, stop about 100 yards offshore, and they’ll say, ‘Thank you very much, we give up.’” The president provided no further elaboration on the comments.
The remarks followed Trump’s February statement suggesting the U.S. might conduct a “friendly takeover” of Cuba. On Friday, President Trump signed an executive order expanding sanctions against Cuba. The new measures target Cuban government officials, individuals accused of corruption, and entities operating in energy, defense, and financial services sectors. The order also threatens foreign financial institutions with loss of access to U.S. markets if they continue working with Cuban entities.
This action intensifies pressure on Cuba after months of tariffs that have severely restricted oil shipments, causing significant energy shortages. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has stated that Cuba requires substantial economic and political reforms.