Trump on ‘taking’ Cuba: ‘I can do anything I want with it’

President Trump on Monday said he believes he will have the “honor” of taking over Cuba, coming as the administration is choking the communist regime in Havana with a fuel blockade.

Trump, speaking to reporters from the Oval Office, would not rule out a military move, adding, “I think I can do anything I want with it.”  

“Whether I free it, take it, I think I can do anything I want with it,” he said. “You want to know the truth, they’re a very weakened nation now.”

The island nation plunged into darkness on Monday, with a major blackout affecting 11 million people. Trump imposed an oil quarantine against the island at the end of January, cutting off its main supply of oil from Venezuela.

Experts warned that the country only had enough fuel reserves to last until mid-March and that the quarantine exacerbated an already dire humanitarian crisis caused by decades of mismanagement and corruption by the communist regime in Havana. 

Trump is trying to pressure Cuba’s President Manuel Diaz-Canal into an agreement with the U.S., but has provided little detail on the potential terms of such an agreement.

“It’s a failed nation,” Trump said Monday. “They have no money, no oil, no nothing, they have nice land, nice landscape, it’s a beautiful island.”

Lawmakers hawkish on Cuba want to see a transition to Democracy and are cheering on the regime’s downfall. Protests on the island against the government are intensifying. 

But the administration is signaling that economic agreements could unlock relief for the island. Deals on ports, energy and tourism could unlock sanctions relief, USA Today reported earlier this month. The report also said the administration is looking to relax restrictions on Americans traveling to Cuba, and an off-ramp for the communist leadership to remain on the island. 

Oscar Pérez-Oliva Fraga, Cuba’s deputy prime minister, told NBC News on Monday that Cuba is “open to having a fluid commercial relationship with U.S. companies” and “also with Cubans residing in the United States and their descendants.”

Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

More International News

Trump allies plan Senate floor takeover to pass SAVE America Act

Federal court blocks Kennedy’s vaccine changes, invalidates vaccine advisory ...

Jeffries seeks to force vote on DHS funding without ICE and CBP

Trump reveals story about GOP lawmaker Neal Dunn’s health

Supreme Court takes up Trump efforts to curtail protections for ...

200 US troops wounded since Iran war started: Centcom

Live updates: Court blocks Kennedy’s vaccine changes; Trump touts US progress ...

House Republicans ramp up pressure on Senate to pass SAVE America Act

Senate Republican rebukes Carr’s threats to revoke broadcast licenses over ...

Kelly: Hegseth 'no quarter,' Trump 'just for fun' remarks show no 'clear ...

Kennedy Center board unanimously approves Trump’s shutdown plan

Trump to Kennedy Center board ahead of vote on 2-year shutdown: ‘You have to ...

FCC chair invites bipartisan backlash as MAGA battle with press intensifies

Democrats demand DOJ investigation into Noem testimony on ad ...

The Memo: Allies balk at Trump’s call for help on Strait of Hormuz

‘Lobstergate’ shows just how far our media have sunk

Appeals court allows Trump to swiftly deport migrants to third countries 

Judge temporarily halts Trump demand for race-based admissions data from ...

© The Hill