President Donald Trump raised the prospect of a “friendly takeover” of Cuba on Friday, confirming that the United States is engaged in high-level discussions with Havana, though he provided few specifics about what such a scenario would entail.
Speaking to reporters outside the White House before departing for Texas, Trump said Secretary of State Marco Rubio is leading talks with Cuban officials “at a very high level.”
“They have no money. They have no anything right now. But they’re talking to us, and maybe we’ll have a friendly takeover of Cuba,” Trump said. “We could very well end up having a friendly takeover of Cuba.”
Trump did not elaborate on the meaning of his comments, leaving observers uncertain about whether he was referring to political, economic, or other forms of U.S. influence on the island nation. The White House did not respond to requests for clarification.
The president characterized Cuba as “a failed nation” and suggested that the Cuban government is seeking U.S. assistance. His remarks come amid rising tensions following a violent incident earlier this week. The Cuban government reported that a Florida-registered speedboat carrying ten armed Cubans opened fire on Cuban soldiers off the island’s northern coast. Four of the armed Cubans were killed, six were injured, and one Cuban official sustained injuries in the exchange, according to Havana.
Trump’s statement reflects a potential shift in U.S.-Cuba relations, long strained under decades of ideological and economic confrontation. Analysts noted that any U.S. involvement in Cuba, even under the label of a “friendly takeover,” would carry significant geopolitical risks in the region.
