Why is Trump talking about action on Cuba and what could that look like?
Experts don't expect military action soon. But actual regime change is complicated.
Updated on: May 15, 2026 / 10:53 AM EDT / CBS News
Washington — President Trump has continued to dangle the possibility of military action against Cuba, appearing to be emboldened by his administration's intervention in Venezuela . He suggested earlier this month that "on the way back from Iran," an aircraft carrier could "come in, stop about 100 yards offshore, and they'll say, 'thank you very much, we give up.'"
After the U.S. military captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in January, Mr. Trump warned that he had his sights set on Cuba. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, standing alongside Mr. Trump at a news conference about the raid on Jan. 3, said the regime should be "concerned."
And since Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was assassinated in U.S. strikes on Iran in February, Mr. Trump's rhetoric against Cuba has escalated. On March 16, Mr. Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that he believed he would have "the honor of taking Cuba."
"Taking Cuba in some form, yeah," he said. "Taking Cuba. I mean, whether I free it, take it — I think I could do anything I want with it, if you want to know the truth."
"Cuba's going to be next," Mr. Trump said later that month.