In a striking public comment, President Donald Trump suggested Friday that the United States might pursue what he called a "friendly takeover" of Cuba as tensions with the island nation 90 miles off the coast of Florida have heightened.
Speaking to reporters, Trump said that Secretary of State Marco Rubio is holding discussions with Cuban authorities at what he termed a "very high level", though he did not provide specifics on the content or scope of those negotiations. The president said, "The Cuban government is talking with us. They have no money. They have no anything right now, but they're talking with us, and maybe we'll have a friendly takeover of Cuba." He added, "We could very well end up having a friendly takeover of Cuba."
