Trump Says He Wants to Resolve Cuba Before Leaving Office, Would Consider Military Force

President Donald Trump said Thursday that he wants to resolve the Cuba situation before he leaves office and that he would seriously consider military action against the island. In an interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt of Salem News Channel, Trump was asked whether he would order force to free Cuba. He said his administration is watching closely, called Cuba a failed country, and said Secretary of State Marco Rubio, whose family is from Cuba, would love to take on the task. Politico reported it was the first time Trump had put a timeline on possible intervention.

The remarks follow earlier comments. In March Trump said he expected to take Cuba in some form, and on Monday he said its government would likely fall fairly soon. The U.S. enforces an economic embargo, and the Treasury Department imposed new sanctions this month on Cuban oil tankers and shipping firms. Cuba has had repeated blackouts and fuel and food shortages, and its Washington embassy put the cost of the blockade from March 2025 to February 2026 at $8 billion.

Left-leaning outlets The New Republic and NBC News both lead with the Hewitt interview and Trump's willingness to use force. The New Republic adds his March remarks about taking Cuba, a Politico report that White House interest had grown, and the oil blockade's role in the crisis. NBC adds Trump's joke about parachuting Rubio into Cuba, his Monday forecast of the government's fall, and his comment about helping Cubans who came to America. The right-leaning Daily Wire article in this set does not address Cuba. It reports Trump's Truth Social call for the Senate to advance a $350 billion military funding bill before Democrats take control of Congress, and it quotes his warnings about Democratic opposition. CNBC, the alternative source, largely matches the left, adding embassy cost figures and sanctions details.