❓WHAT HAPPENED: President Donald J. Trump has predicted that he will be the American leader to have “the honor” of finally “taking Cuba.”
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: U.S. President Donald J. Trump, Cuban exiles, and the Communist Party of Cuba.
📍WHEN & WHERE: March 16, 2026, in the Oval Office.
💬KEY QUOTE: “I do believe I’ll be having the honor of taking Cuba. That’s a big honor.” – President Trump
🎯IMPACT: Trump’s comments add to the rising speculation that his administration is preparing to topple Cuba’s communist regime, which is reeling from an energy crisis caused by the removal of Marxist dictator Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela, which was Cuba’s chief source of oil.
President Donald J. Trump told the press he expects to be the U.S. leader who finally has “the honor” of “taking Cuba” in comments in the Oval Office on Monday. “A lot of Cubans have said, oh boy, would they love to go back… It’s a beautiful island; great weather,” he said, adding, “All my life I’ve been hearing about the United States and Cuba, ‘When will the United States do it?’ I do believe I’ll be having the honor of taking Cuba. That’s a big honor.”
When asked by a reporter to clarify his remarks, Trump confirmed, “Taking Cuba, in some form, yeah,” emphasizing, “I mean, whether I free it, take it, I think I can do anything I want with it, if you wanna know the truth. They’re a very weakened nation right now.” Notably, Cuba is currently experiencing an energy crisis, precipitated by the U.S. ouster of Marxist dictator Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela, which was the communist-led island’s main source of oil.
Residents in central Cuba partially destroyed a local communist party headquarters during a protest over energy and food shortages over the weekend, underscoring the growing strain the regime is facing. The country’s leadership is already in talks with the Trump administration—at the same time as the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is building a criminal case against them.
Trump’s comments on Monday follow comments earlier this month predicting “Cuba’s going to fall” and mulling the possibility of a “friendly takeover.”
Trump: Cuba, it’s a beautiful island. Great weather. I will be having the honor of taking Cuba. Whether I free it, take it. I think I can do anything I want with it, if you want to know the truth pic.twitter.com/Po7J9tJMr2
— Acyn (@Acyn) March 16, 2026
Join Pulse+ to comment below, and receive exclusive e-mail analyses.


