As Trump floats "taking Cuba," island's president warns of "resistance"

CBS News
March 18, 2026
3 min read

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Trump suggests taking Cuba; island's leader vows resistance to U.S. pressure.

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President Trump has suggested the U.S. could "take" Cuba, prompting Cuba's leader to declare the island nation will mount "resistance" to any such effort. The rhetoric reflects escalating tensions as the Trump administration intensifies pressure on Cuba's communist government, which has struggled with severe energy shortages and economic hardship. Trump's language—suggesting potential U.S. acquisition of the island—marks an unusually aggressive rhetorical posture toward a neighbor nation 90 miles off Florida's coast. Cuba's defiant response signals the government will not capitulate to American pressure, setting up a confrontational dynamic. The exchange underscores the Trump administration's willingness to openly challenge the geopolitical status quo in the Western Hemisphere.

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