A tricycle decorated with US and Cuban flags on February 26, 2026 in Havana.
Yamil Raji | AFP | Getty Images
President Donald Trump, speaking during an executive order signing at the White House on Monday, said he thought he would have the “honor” of “occupying Cuba.”
“I think we can do whatever we want with this, whether we release it or take it,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, with Vice President J.D. Vance standing behind him. “They are a very weakened state right now.”
The president’s comments on the occupation of Cuba come as he pursues a war in Iran that continues into its third week. President Trump has encouraged the Iranian people to oust the government in the conflict, which is one of the reasons he gives for starting the war.
President Trump recently indicated that the United States would turn to Cuba after achieving its objectives in Iran. He has threatened a “friendly takeover” of the Caribbean nation, which has been an enemy of the United States for decades, except for a brief thaw during President Barack Obama’s presidency.
The Cuba threat is the latest example of President Trump’s more aggressive foreign policy during his second term in the White House. In addition to the Iran war, President Trump has ordered a military operation to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and has made repeated offers to acquire Denmark’s Arctic island chain of Greenland. Denmark has repeatedly said Greenland is not for sale.
After Maduro was arrested, the White House effectively blocked the flow of Venezuelan oil into Havana. This caused an energy crisis and an economic crisis in this country.
Cuba confirmed last week that it was in talks with the Trump administration about a potential solution. President Trump also confirmed the meeting on Monday.
“I can tell you they’re talking to us. This is a failed nation, we don’t have oil, we don’t have anything,” Trump said. “They have good land.”
