At The Forum Club of the Palm Beaches Dinner in Florida on Friday, President Donald Trump offered another glimpse into his geopolitical agenda, mixing “peace through strength” rhetoric with his signature blunt style. While spotting familiar faces in the crowd, including former Congressman Dan Mica, Trump pointed to Cuba as his administration’s next target.
Trump made clear that despite Cuba’s severe problems, he’s working down a priority list. “Cuba is suffering from problems. We’ll finish one first,” the president said, referring to the military campaign against Iran underway since February. He added emphatically: “I like to finish a job,” hinting that completing the Middle East mission is a prerequisite for dealing with other trouble spots closer to home.
The president didn’t stop at generalities—he laid out a hypothetical takeover scenario: timing would be “almost immediately” after finishing the previous mission, executed by deploying overwhelming military force on the way back from the Persian Gulf. Trump envisions a quick surrender by the Cuban regime in the face of American presence.
At the heart of Trump’s vision stands the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, which he described in his speech as “the biggest in the world.” Trump painted a picture of how the massive warship would arrive off the island’s coast on its return from fighting in Iran.
“We’ll bring it, stop about 100 yards from shore, and they’ll say: ‘Thank you very much, we surrender,'” Trump said to audience laughter. Trump’s description—an aircraft carrier stopping so close to land—was meant to illustrate America’s absolute technological and military superiority, which in his view eliminates the need for a cumbersome ground invasion.
Though delivered at a social club in a relaxed style, the remarks reflect the Trump administration’s hawkish line toward dictatorial regimes in the Western Hemisphere. While the U.S. is militarily invested deep in the war with Iran, Trump is signaling he’s not abandoning America’s backyard.
The choice to mention the USS Abraham Lincoln isn’t random: it’s a Nimitz-class carrier that forms a central part of the American task force currently operating in the Middle East. Trump’s statement that Cuba would be conquered “on the way back” from Iran is designed to broadcast to the world that American power is multi-theater, and that victory in the Middle East will only increase America’s appetite for settling other hostile power centers.