Trump Suggests Cuba Regime Change Agenda During White House Soccer Celebration
In a striking blend of sports and geopolitics, President Donald Trump appeared to signal that Cuba is next in line for potential U.S.-assisted regime change. The comments came during a Thursday event at the White House, where Trump hosted Argentine soccer legend Lionel Messi and his Inter Miami teammates to celebrate the club's recent MLS Cup victory.
Praise for Rubio and Cryptic Remarks on Cuba
While delivering remarks with the athletes standing behind him, Trump first provided an update on military operations in Iran before shifting focus to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who was present in the audience. The president praised Rubio's "fantastic job" generally and specifically mentioned his "fantastic job on a place called Cuba."
Rubio, whose parents fled Fidel Castro's regime for America, has long been one of Washington's most vocal critics of Cuba's communist leadership. Trump's comments suggested coordination between the administration and Rubio regarding Cuba policy, though details remained deliberately vague.
"That Will Be Just a Question of Time"
Trump continued with enigmatic statements about Cuba's future, saying: "But what's happening with Cuba is amazing. And we think that we want to fix, finish, this one first. But that will be just a question of time before you and a lot of unbelievable people are going to be going back to Cuba."
The president added contradictory sentiments about Cuban-Americans returning to the island, stating: "Hopefully not to stay. We want you back. And we don't want to lose you. We don't want to make it so nice that they stay. But some people probably do want to stay. They love Cuba so much. I hear it all the time. That was another one that wasn't supposed to happen."
Direct Message to Cuban-American Team Owner
Later during the celebration, Trump congratulated Inter Miami co-owner Jorge Mas, himself the son of Cuban immigrants, for his team's championship victory. The president again returned to the subject of Cuba, telling Mas he could soon be traveling back to the island nation.
"You're going to go back," Trump declared. "Oh yeah. Yeah. It's going to be — and you won't need my approval. You just fly back in when — I can just see that. It's going to be a great day, right? We're going to celebrate that separately. We, I just want to wait a couple of weeks. I wanted to wait a couple of weeks, but we'll be together again soon, I suspect, celebrating what's going on in Cuba. They want to make a deal so badly, you have no idea."
Context of Previous "Friendly Takeover" Comments
These remarks align with Trump's previous floating of a "friendly takeover" concept for Cuba, which has emerged amid mounting pressure from Washington for political change within the Cuban government. The president's comments during the sports celebration represent his most public linking of that concept to specific individuals with Cuban heritage who might participate in or benefit from such political transformations.
The unusual juxtaposition of a championship sports celebration with significant foreign policy implications created a memorable White House moment, blending athletic achievement with geopolitical signaling about one of America's longest-standing international adversaries.
