The Trump Cuba question is back. At a rally in Fort Myers, Florida, on Friday, President Trump said U.S. warships coming home from the Iran war could make a stop off the Cuban coast.
He was answering a shouted question from the crowd at Alico Arena on the campus of Florida Gulf Coast University, the Associated Press reported. Moments later, Secretary of State Marco Rubio posted that “now is the time” for action on Cuba.
Key Takeaways
- Trump said a returning warship could stop about 50 yards off Cuba, then Rubio would go in to finish a deal.
- Rubio then urged people seeking change in Cuba to work with the CIA.
- This was a rally remark, not an announced policy or military order.
- Last month, Trump said he did not think the military would be needed.
What Trump Said About Cuba
Here is the full quote, so you can judge it yourself. “We’ll do a little stopover,” Trump said. “Actually, what we’re going to do with Cuba is, we’re going to come back from Iran. Those beautiful ships will pass Cuba. We’ll have one of them stop about 50 yards off the coast. They’ll raise up their hands. And then we’re going to send (Secretary of State) Marco Rubio in to finish up the deal.”
Notably, this is not a new idea. Trump first floated it earlier this year, although he had not mentioned it in recent months. Then, in May, he and Rubio raised U.S. military intervention after the administration announced criminal charges against Raúl Castro, the island’s former leader. At the time, Trump said past presidents had weighed it for decades, but “it looks like I’ll be the one that does it.”
Rubio Calls on Cubans to Act
Right after the rally remarks, Rubio went further. He addressed his post “to those who seek to create positive change” and urged them “to seize this opportunity to create the change you desire through a discrete partnership with the CIA,” according to PBS News.
Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants, has long taken a hard line on the regime. In a Sept. 29 interview with Sean Hannity, he said “Cuba has already fallen.” He also said the U.S. will never let Cuba become “a base of operation against American interests.”
Why the Trump Cuba Push Makes Sense
Cuba’s socialist leadership has kept close ties with America’s adversaries, right on our doorstep. That is exactly why Rubio has called the island a national security threat for years. Likewise, Trump told the United Nations last month that he would “not allow a haven for foreign adversaries to threaten America on our own doorstep.”
Meanwhile, ordinary Cubans pay the price. Since 2020, the island has struggled with an economic and energy crisis. Its 10 million residents have endured blackouts, food shortages, and inflation. As a result, hundreds of thousands of Cubans have left, many for the United States.
That is why peace through strength matters here. A regime that respects nothing else may respect a warship on the horizon. In fact, the best outcome is the one Trump himself described last month: a deal with no shots fired. “I don’t think we’ll need the military. Cuba is failing very badly,” he said.
The Fair Caveats
Still, a rally line is not a plan. Trump was answering a question from the crowd, not announcing an order. Moreover, the Iran war is not over yet, as Mike Waltz warned this week. Trump also just put another Iran strike back on the table.
Voters are also watching their wallets. With the midterms only days away, many have voiced concern about how the Iran war has pushed up prices on everything from gas to groceries. So any new mission will need a clear goal, a clear exit, and a clear case to the American people.
What Comes Next in the Trump Cuba Standoff
Diplomacy is still in play, at least on paper. Rubio and other top aides have met with Cuban officials in recent months. However, the U.S. side came away unimpressed, and more sanctions followed. This week, the two countries also clashed at the United Nations ahead of the annual vote condemning the U.S. embargo.
So the pressure is building from every direction. Freedom for the Cuban people would be a historic win, and it would make our own hemisphere safer. The question is how to get there.
So here is the question for you: should America use military pressure to force change in Cuba, or keep squeezing the regime with sanctions and diplomacy?
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