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Trump Administration Doubles Down on Cuba Amid Another Blackout

Cameron Arcand
Cameron Arcand  |  July 06, 2026 3:35 PM

The Trump administration doubled down on the desire for Cuba to reach an agreement with the United States as the country faces another nationwide power outage and grid failure on Monday. 

Cuba remains under total control of the Communist Party, as the country is marred by fuel supply woes. In January, President Donald Trump ordered tariffs against the “imports of goods that are products of a foreign country that directly or indirectly sells or otherwise provides any oil to Cuba.” 

"As the President stated, Cuba is a failed country that has been horribly run for many years. The [U.S.] will be there to be help, but its flailing leaders should make a deal with the United States before it is too late,” a senior administration official told Townhall on Monday afternoon.

“As Secretary Rubio has stated, the United States is ready to open a new chapter in the relationship between the United States and Cuba. The only thing standing in the way of a better future are those who control Cuba for their own gain at the expense of the Cuban people,” the official added.

Talks have reportedly stalled between the two countries, according to PBS. CIA Director John Ratcliffe visited the island nation in May, as photos were shared by the agency at the time. 

In the aforementioned presidential order, the president declared that the U.S. “has zero tolerance for the depredations of the communist Cuban regime.”

“The United States will act to protect the foreign policy, national security, and national interests of the United States, including by holding the Cuban regime accountable for its malign actions and relationships, while also remaining committed to supporting the Cuban people’s aspirations for a free and democratic society,” the order stated.

The Cuban government made certain economic reforms last month in an apparent attempt to salvage the nation’s economy, according to CBS News. 

“The aggression of the United States against [Cuba] is incessant and intensifies in the face of the impotence of not seeing us defeated,” Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez posted to X on June 24. 

“The United States government trusts that no country can function and survive under such a ruthless war. The effect is concrete and brutal, of that there is no doubt; but they are surprised by our capacity to resist and create,” he added. 

On June 30, the Cuban president touted 65 years since the Castro revolution, even though hundreds of thousands of Cubans left the country during Fidel Castro’s rule.

“We celebrate the 65th anniversary of Commander-in-Chief Fidel's Words to the Intellectuals, the speech that laid the foundations of the Revolution's cultural policy: dialogue, unity, and defense of our identity,” he wrote. 

Following publication, a State Department spokesperson told Townhall that "the energy crisis is the direct result of the Cuban regime’s incompetence."

"Everyday Cubans have endured blackouts for years, all while the illegitimate regime was focused on hoarding fuel for its elites and resold it for cash profit in Asia.  The Trump Administration has offered the regime clear options to receive humanitarian assistance delivered through appropriate channels and fuel if they privatize the energy industry.  But sadly, they continue to prioritize state control over the wellbeing of the Cuban people," the spokesperson stated. "We can confirm the aid is ready to go, and the illegitimate Diaz-Canel regime has been stalling approvals.  We expect big shipments in July, if the regime will allow them."