He basically told reporters yesterday that he’s the one who’s finally going to pull the trigger on military action, something presidents have been posturing about for sixty years. This comes right on the heels of his DOJ indicting former Cuban dictator Raúl Castro on murder charges, a move that looks exactly like the playbook they used before the raid in Caracas. It is classic escalation, and with his administration already tightening the screws on fuel, the region is looking more like a powder keg every single day.
Friday morning news: May 22, 2026
The news of day, including Trump signals possible action in Cuba, Iran says it’s still reviewing latest U.S. peace offer, senators break without voting on reconciliation bill, White House announces refrigeration emissions rollback, and Israel releases hundreds of Gaza flotilla activists
Trump signals possible action in Cuba » President Trump seemed to signal on Thursday he could be ready to launch U.S. military action against Cuba.
He told reporters at the White House:
TRUMP: Other presidents have looked at this for fifty, sixty years doing something, and, uh, it looks like I’ll be the one that does it.
His comments came a day after his Justice Department announced murder charges against former Cuban President, longtime dictator Raúl Castro.
The indictment mirrors drug-trafficking charges against former Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro that preceded a January military raid in Caracas to arrest him.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters in Miami Thursday:
RUBIO: The president’s preference is always a negotiated agreement that’s peaceful. That’s always our preference. That remains our preference with Cuba. I’m just being honest with you. You know, the likelihood of that happening given who we’re dealing with right now is not high.
The USS Nimitz aircraft carrier and other U.S. Navy ships arrived in the Caribbean this week. The Trump administration has also tightened sanctions and restricted fuel shipments to Cuba