Is Cuba Trump’s Next Target?

About this episode

<p>The staff writer <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/contributors/jon-lee-anderson" rel="noopener noreferrer">Jon Lee Anderson</a> has reported from Cuba for many years, and recently wrote about the deteriorating economic conditions on the island. His newest piece for the magazine dives into the potential outcomes of Donald Trump’s desire to pursue regime change. Anderson explores the economic impact of the United States blocking Venezuelan oil from reaching Cuba, which could be a death knell for the Communist government. Anderson and David Remnick discuss the current negotiations between the two countries, Marco Rubio’s strategy, and what cards the Cuban government might still hold. “They’re going to go into this,” Anderson suggests, “like maybe a canny poker player.”</p> <p>Plus, the historian Ada Ferrer won the Pulitzer Prize for her 2022 book, “Cuba: An American History,” and she has one of the clearest views of the long and vexed relationship between the island and its giant neighbor. Ferrer left Cuba as an infant, coming to the United States with her mother in 1963 when Fidel Castro’s regime was arguably at its peak. David Remnick talks with Ferrer about the impact of U.S. sanctions, the economic collapse of Cuba, and what Donald Trump’s threat of a “takeover” means to the Cuban people and to Cuban Americans in the U.S. </p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Further reading: </strong></p> <ul> <li>“<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/10/06/a-cuban-exodus-faces-trumps-america" rel="noopener noreferrer">Have Cubans Fled One Authoritarian State for Another?</a>,” by Jon Lee Anderson</li> <li>“<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2026/03/23/whats-behind-trumps-new-world-disorder" rel="noopener noreferrer">What’s Behind Trump’s New World Disorder?</a>,” by Daniel Immerwahr</li> </ul> <p> </p> <p>New episodes of The New Yorker Radio Hour drop every Tuesday and Friday. Join host David Remnick as he discusses the latest in politics, news, and current events in conversation with political leaders, newsmakers, innovators, <i>New Yorker</i> staff writers, authors, actors, and musicians.</p><br/> <p>Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See <a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com">pcm.adswizz.com</a> for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.</p>