Trump's Cuba remarks to the UN General Assembly
President of the United States, addressing the 81st UN General Assembly
“My administration is also seeking a fundamental change in the situation in Cuba, where the communist regime is under great pressure, the biggest pressure they've ever been under. It's an absolutely failed state. It's failing like never before, and it will fall.”
Source and context
Original text
About this source
Record of President Trump's September 22, 2026 address to the UN General Assembly, sourced by the Miller Center from the White House. The address covers the war with Iran, the Western Hemisphere, Venezuela, Mexico and Cuba. In the Cuba passage, Trump calls Cuba an absolutely failed state, says it will fall, and says his administration is seeking a fundamental change in Cuba.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
The address came after months of U.S. pressure on Cuba, including a January 29, 2026 executive order threatening tariffs on countries that export fuel to the island.
After the quotation
The Cuban delegation walked out of the hall during the remarks. Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez answered on X the same day, calling Trump's claims falsehoods and saying Cuba is not a threat.
How this statement is classified
Case context: Should the United States seek "fundamental change" in Cuba's government?
The label describes this statement’s response within the context above.
Why this label?
Trump's statement asserts and defends the objective the case asks about: openly seeking fundamental change in Cuba's government.
- Recorded on
- Published here
- People and groups discussed
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Cuba

Should the United States seek "fundamental change" in Cuba's government?
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