President Trump
U.S. President Donald Trump walks on the South Lawn as he departs the White House on October 12. Getty Images

President Trump said that he hopes to get Cuba "done" before he leaves office, suggesting that he might use military force to install Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

In an interview with radio personality Hugh Hewitt, Trump was asked if he would use military force in relation to Cuba. Trump said, "Well, I want to get Cuba done before I leave, yeah. And we have a very good, talented guy for Cuba named Marco."

Trump then went on to point out that Rubio's parents were from Cuba. Trump said that Rubio would "love to do that." Trump also mentioned Cuba's current economic status as U.S. sanctions have crippled its economy and led to energy and fuel shortages.

CNBC noted that Cuba has endured repeated nationwide blackouts in recent months. This week, the Cuban embassy said that the U.S. blockade cost Cuba about $8 billion from March 2025 to February 2026.

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"It's essentially a failed, you know, place, nation, whatever you want to call it. It's failed. And we're watching it. I would like to be able to do it," Trump said. "I'd love to be able to do it for the people, for the Cubans that came and were treated really badly, and they came to America."

Despite Trump suggesting that he might topple the Cuban government and install Rubio in some capacity, Hewitt did not follow up with additional questions regarding when this might happen, whether such action would be considered legal under the Constitution, or how Trump would navigate Congress. Trump will be facing a hostile Congress, controlled by Democrats, who already are questioning the legitimacy of the Iran war and demanding that it end.

"We are going to end the war," Democrat Senate Leader Chuck Schumer said after the midterm elections. "We have some Republicans already who have joined us in ending the war, and the Founding Fathers had the power of the purse as one of the ways of deterring a president who does war without the consent of the American people."

Vice President JD Vance also acknowledged the unpopularity of the Iran war in a social media post following the midterm elections.

"The reason we lost is the war. The president himself said so last night. If you'd like to argue it was worth it, that losing the Senate for the next 6 years was worth it, then do so," Vance wrote on X. "Argue it was a worthwhile cost to pay. Agree or disagree, that's at least honest."