The statement Friday came as Trump was preparing to board his presidential helicopter, Marine One, on the White House lawn en route to Texas.
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Appearing before the media, Trump raised questions about America’s strained relations with countries such as Iran and Cuba, two countries in which he has suggested he would like to see new governments.
In the case of Cuba, Trump suggested a change that would be “very positive for the people expelled or worse.”
Trump told reporters, “The Cuban government is talking with us, and as you know, they’re in big trouble. They have no money. They don’t have anything right now, but they’re talking with us.”
“And perhaps we will take friendly occupation of Cuba. We may finally take friendly occupation of Cuba.”
Trump has been using economic and diplomatic pressure to push for regime change on the communist-led Caribbean island for the past two months.
In Friday remarks, Trump reiterated his stance that Cuba is “a failed nation” headed for collapse.
“Ever since I was a little boy, I’ve been hearing about Cuba and everybody wants change and I can see that happening,” Trump said.
He said Cuban US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, known for his radical stance, is leading the initiative.
“Marco Rubio is working on this and at a very high level, and you know, they don’t have money. They don’t have oil, they don’t have food, and this is really a country in deep crisis right now. And they want our help.”
increasing pressure on cuba
The US has long had strained relations with Cuba, an island just 145 kilometers or 90 miles off its coast. Since the 1960s, the US has imposed a complete trade embargo on the island, weakening its economy.
But tensions have risen since Jan. 3, when Trump approved a military operation to kidnap and imprison Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, a close Cuban ally.
An estimated 32 Cuban soldiers were killed in the attack, along with Venezuelan military personnel.
Subsequently, Trump increased pressure against the island by publicly speculating that its government was “ready to fall”.
On January 11, he announced that no Venezuelan oil or money would flow to Cuba. Then, on January 29, he issued an executive order threatening to impose tariffs on any country supplying oil directly or indirectly to the island.
Cuba’s energy grid relies heavily on fossil fuels to generate electricity, and the United Nations has warned of the possibility of imminent humanitarian “collapse” on the island if supplies are not restored.
A panel of U.N. human rights experts also this month cast doubt on Trump’s argument that Cuba poses an “extraordinary and extraordinary threat” to U.S. national security because of its ties to China, Russia and other U.S. rivals.
He pointed out that the fuel blockade was primarily “an extreme form of unilateral economic pressure” that violated international law.
“There is no authority under international law to impose economic penalties on third states for engaging in legitimate trade with another sovereign country,” he wrote in a statement.
Trump’s vision for a ‘growing nation’
However, the Trump administration has made little secret of its desire to spread American influence, particularly in the Western Hemisphere.
In his inaugural address in 2025, Trump pledged that the US would “once again consider itself a growing nation”, including expanding its territory.
Since delivering that address, Trump has proposed “owning” Gaza and “running” Venezuela, while pressuring countries like Greenland, Canada and Panama to give up sovereignty over their lands.
To justify some of these efforts he has repeatedly cited 19th century expansionist policies such as manifest destiny and the Monroe Doctrine. He even married it to his personal brand, calling his plans for the Western Hemisphere the “Donero Principle.”
During his State of the Union address this week, he described his military action in Venezuela as a success and announced that more than 80 million barrels of Venezuelan oil had been transferred to the possession of the US government.
“We are also restoring American security and dominance in the Western Hemisphere,” Trump told the crowd.
However, the Cuban government has repeatedly condemned Trump’s campaign against the island as evidence of US imperialism.
For example, on January 30, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel accused Trump of attempting to “strangle the Cuban economy” with a fuel blockade.
“This new measure reveals the fascist, criminal and genocidal nature of a gang that has hijacked the interests of the American people purely for personal gain,” he wrote on social media.
Just this week, Diaz-Canel’s government announced that there had been a fatal shootout with a Florida-tagged speedboat off its coast.
The US government has denied responsibility. But Cuba described the boat as part of an “infiltration for terrorist purposes.”
Easing of restrictions?
Already, there are signs that the United States may try to ease some pressure on Cuba while maintaining its strong opposition to the island’s communist government.
Earlier in February, the Trump administration announced $6 million in humanitarian aid for the island, which would be distributed through proxies such as the Catholic Church rather than the local government.
And on Wednesday, the US Treasury Department revealed it would “implement a favorable licensing policy” for the resale of Venezuelan oil to Cuba, barring any transactions with the Cuban government or its military and intelligence services.
Critics have argued that the humanitarian crisis in Cuba could create consequences for Trump, who has campaigned on cracking down on immigration and cutting government spending.
Cuba has seen several waves of migration to the US, most recently during the COVID-19 pandemic, when approximately 2 million people fled the island due to economic instability and political repression.
Meanwhile, Diaz-Canel reiterated on Friday that his government would defend itself against any external threat.
He said, “Cuba will defend itself with determination and determination against any terrorist or mercenary invasion that seeks to undermine its sovereignty and national stability.”
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