President Donald Trump stated on Thursday, November 12, that he would consider ordering a military campaign against Cuba before the end of his term. In an interview on "The Hugh Hewitt Show," the president said he wanted to "get Cuba done" and suggested that Secretary of State Marco Rubio would be interested in leading such an effort. These comments follow recent U.S. midterm elections in which the Republican Party lost control of Congress.
The statements come as the administration alters its approach to the ongoing war with Iran, which began on February 28 with military strikes by the U.S. and Israel. On Thursday morning, the president announced via Truth Social that he had instructed Vice President JD Vance to end diplomatic negotiations with Tehran. Instead, the president directed the vice president to focus on investigating allegations of fraud in cities and states led by Democrats.
During the radio interview, Hewitt asked if the president would approve "a little bit of military force, a week campaign" to free Cuba. President Trump replied that he "would certainly consider that." He characterized Cuba as a "failed" nation and cited his support among Cuban Americans in Florida as a motivation. Regarding Iran, the president wrote that a deal was no longer necessary, stating the U.S. controls Iranian assets and the Strait of Hormuz.
The economic scale of the conflict has already impacted U.S. households through higher gasoline prices, which Vice President Vance identified as a primary reason for the Republican Party losing the Senate for the next six years. Following the announcement to end Iran talks on November 12, oil prices rose and stock markets declined. For the average consumer, this market volatility typically translates into fluctuations in fuel costs and retirement account values. The administration maintains control of what the president described as "hundreds of billions of dollars" of Iranian money, a figure that represents a significant portion of international frozen assets.
The shift also establishes a precedent for how the executive branch manages foreign conflict following domestic electoral losses. By redirecting the vice president from international diplomacy to domestic election investigations, the administration is changing the immediate priorities of the executive office. While low-level strikes continued this week on Iran's Qeshm island, the administration has rejected Iranian ceasefire proposals as "unrealistic." The next steps involve the formalization of the naval blockade and any potential planning for the Cuba operation before the presidential term concludes. Specific dates for a military move against Cuba were not reported.