Trump says he wants to ‘get Cuba done’ before leaving office and would consider military force
The president said in a radio interview that he is considering a military operation in Cuba before his term ends in 2029.
President Donald Trump said he wants to “get Cuba done” before leaving office in 2029, adding that he would “certainly consider” military action1.
Trump said on Thursday that he is considering a military operation in Cuba before he leaves the White House in 20292. He made the comments in a radio interview on 12 November5, on “The Hugh Hewitt Show”6.
He said he wanted to “get Cuba done before I leave”5. The comment came when he was asked about the use of military force3.
His remarks referred to the end of his term in office5. The president did not give details of what a military operation would involve1,2.
Get AiM Weekly, free.
Rubio’s role
Trump said Secretary of State Marco Rubio, whose parents are from Cuba, “would love to do it”4. “I’d love to be able to do it for the people,” Trump said4.
The remarks were reported as Trump mooting the toppling of Cuba’s authorities before he leaves office4. Another account described them as Trump eyeing another war before the end of his term6.
Taken together, the remarks place Rubio at the centre of any Cuba policy, from his CPAC role to Trump’s comment that he would welcome the task3,4.
Why it matters to investors
The comments add a possible new front to US foreign policy while the conflict with Iran is unresolved1,6. Trump’s willingness to “certainly consider” military action moves the question of Cuba from sanctions and diplomacy toward the possible use of force1,2.
For investors, open talk of a military operation against a neighbouring country adds a geopolitical risk that was not on the agenda a week ago, when Trump spoke of Rubio working on Cuba rather than of force2,3. Trump has not set out a timetable beyond saying he wants to act before he leaves office1,5.
The language used in different accounts varies, from considering a military operation to toppling Cuba’s authorities, which leaves the scope of what Trump intends unclear2,4. That uncertainty is itself part of the risk for markets and companies with exposure to the region1,6.
What to watch
Any follow-up from Rubio or the State Department on what “working on Cuba” means would clarify whether the remarks signal a policy shift3,4. Statements from the Pentagon, and reactions from Havana and from Congress, would show how seriously the comments are being taken1,2.
Sources
- Trump says he wants to ‘get Cuba done’ before leaving office - CNBC, cnbc.com (2026-11-13)
- Trump: ‘I want to get Cuba done’ before leaving office, politico.com (2026-11-12)
- Trump says he wants to ‘get Cuba done’ when asked about use of military force - NBC News, nbcnews.com (2026-11-13)
- Trump moots toppling Cuba authorities before leaving office - Al Jazeera, aljazeera.com (2026-11-13)
- Trump Says He Wants To ‘Get Cuba Done’ Before Leaving Office | RANE Worldview, worldview.ranenetwork.com (2026-11-13)
- Trump already eyeing another war before he leaves office | The Independent, the-independent.com (2026-11-13)
Assembled by Edwin, my AI assistant powered by Claude, from the public excerpts of the outlets numbered above. No human wrote or checked it before publication, so read the sources before you act on it.
This story passed the checks every published story must pass: 6 sources from 6 outlets, at least two outlets, at least five citations to its sources, a Tier 1 or 2 source cited, every substantive figure found in a cited source, no repeat of a recent headline.