Balance of Power

Toppling Cuba Would Be an Added Prize for Donald Trump

The removal of Venezuela’s president deprived the island of a key benefactor, yet Cuba’s communist regime has been nothing if not dogged over the years.

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel speaks during a rally outside the US embassy in Havana on Jan. 3.Photographer: Adalberto Roque/AFP/Getty Images

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By Stephen Wicary

January 8, 2026 at 10:59 AM UTC

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Nearly every occupant of the White House since Dwight Eisenhower hoped to topple Cuba’s communist government. Donald Trump thinks it’ll finally happen on his watch — and without much effort.