Executive Branch

Trump Says ‘Friendly Takeover of Cuba’ Possible as Island Nation Has ‘No Money, No Oil, No Food’

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is in high-level discussions with Cuban leaders, the president said.
Trump Says ‘Friendly Takeover of Cuba’ Possible as Island Nation Has ‘No Money, No Oil, No Food’
President Donald Trump leaves the White House with press secretary Karoline Leavitt to board Marine One on Feb. 27, 2026. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
Emel Akan
Emel Akan
Senior Reporter
|Updated:
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WASHINGTON—U.S. President Donald Trump said on Feb. 27 that Cuba faces significant challenges and floated the possibility of a “friendly takeover” of the island by the United States.

“The Cuban government is talking with us,“ Trump told reporters on the South Lawn of the White House as he left for a trip to Texas. ”They’re in a big deal of trouble.

Emel Akan
Emel Akan
Senior Reporter
Emel Akan is a senior White House correspondent for The Epoch Times, where she covers the policies of the Trump administration. Previously, she reported on the Biden administration and the first term of President Trump. Before her journalism career, she worked in investment banking at JPMorgan. She holds an MBA from Georgetown University.
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