President Donald Trump and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) are signaling that Cuba’s communist government may be on its final legs, with both men issuing stark warnings about the island nation’s future as Washington increases pressure on Havana.
Graham, the Republican senator from South Carolina, released a video on X making clear that he believes Trump has accomplished what previous presidents could not when it comes to confronting America’s adversaries in the Western Hemisphere.
“President Trump finished the job that President Reagan failed to do!” Graham declared in the video.
Graham went further, placing Trump above all other Republican presidents in the area of foreign policy.
“I am a big admirer of Ronald Reagan, but I’m here to tell you that Donald Trump, in my opinion, is the gold standard for Republicans — maybe any president — when it comes to foreign policy,” he said.
The South Carolina senator drew a direct contrast between Trump and leaders who spoke about confronting adversaries without following through on action.
Graham pointed to the case of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro as evidence. “Maduro? Everybody talked about him. Well, Donald Trump’s got him in jail!” he said.
Graham then turned his attention squarely to Cuba. “Cuba’s next. They’re gonna fall. This communist dictatorship in Cuba? Their days are numbered,” he said.
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On Friday, Trump himself raised the possibility of a dramatic geopolitical shift involving the island nation. ABC News reported that Trump floated the idea of a “friendly takeover” of Cuba during public remarks.
“The Cuban government is talking with us. They’re in a big deal of trouble, as you know. They have no money, they have no anything right now. But they’re talking with us,” Trump said.
Trump added: “We could very well end up having a friendly takeover of Cuba.”
Trump identified Secretary of State Marco Rubio as the point man for those discussions. “You know, they have no money, they have no oil, they have no food and it’s really, right now, a nation in deep trouble, and they want our help,” Trump said, noting Rubio is handling negotiations “at a very high level.”
The deteriorating situation inside Cuba has been compounded by recent instability. Last week, according to The New York Times, Cuban security forces clashed with approximately 10 Cuban nationals living in the United States who reportedly attempted to mount an attack on the island.
Relations between Washington and Havana have sharply deteriorated following the U.S. capture of Maduro, which triggered an angry response from Cuba’s government.
Trump subsequently imposed a blockade on Cuba. The island had relied heavily on Venezuelan oil supplies, which has intensified the economic strain on the Cuban government.
Trump appeared confident that the regime may collapse without direct military intervention. “I think it’s just going to fall. I don’t think we need any action. Looks like it’s going down. It’s going down for the count,” he said.
Those with direct ties to Cuba are watching closely and anticipating further moves from the Trump administration. Rita García Morris, executive director of the Cuba-based religious nonprofit Christian Center for Reflection and Dialogue, expressed that many expect Trump to force a transformation of the island’s political system.
“I think that many, many people are expecting that — that he’ll be the one to force things to change. I’m convinced,” she said. “What they want is for it to happen right now.”
Academic observers are also noting the anxiety within Cuba’s ruling class. Lillian Guerra, a Cuban-American historian at the University of Florida, told The New York Times that the island’s government leaders are nervous, “and should be.”
