Trump: We Might Have 'Friendly Takeover' of Cuba

President Trump on Friday floated the idea of a "friendly takeover" of Cuba and said the two nations were in negotiations, reports the Hill.

• "The Cuban government is talking with us," said the president. "They're in a big deal of trouble, as you know. They have no money, no anything right now. Maybe we'll have a friendly takeover of Cuba. We could very well end up having a friendly takeover of Cuba."

Exactly how that might play out wasn't clear. Trump's comments come a month after he cut off Cuba's supply of oil from Venezuela, which has put the communist government under severe pressure. The United Nations' top official for Cuba warned this week that everyday life there is "becoming fragile," with mounting pressure on health care, and water and food supplies. The president's remarks also come days after the Cuban coast guard killed four men approaching the island in a boat in what Havana characterized as a planned terror attack. Two of those killed were US citizens, notes Politico.

Behind the scenes, US officials reportedly met Thursday with Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro, grandson of former President Raúl Castro. On Friday, Trump said he was hearing from Cuban exiles in the US who were supportive of his moves. "We have people living here that want to go back to Cuba," he said. "They're very happy with what's going on."