President-elect Donald Trump has intensified his rhetoric regarding the acquisition of Greenland and the Panama Canal, calling both vital to American national security. Speaking at a wide-ranging press conference at his Mar-a-Lago estate, Trump declined to rule out the use of military or economic force to achieve these goals.
“No, I can’t assure you on either of those two,” Trump told reporters when pressed on whether he would refrain from such measures. “But I can say this, we need them for economic security.”
Both Denmark and Panama have rejected any notion of ceding their respective territories. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen reiterated that “Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders,” adding that only the local population could decide their future. She emphasized that Greenland is not for sale but stressed the importance of close U.S.-Denmark cooperation due to their NATO alliance.
Greenland, located on the shortest route between North America and Europe, holds significant geopolitical importance. It hosts a major American space facility and possesses substantial deposits of rare earth minerals essential for advanced technology manufacturing. Trump argued the island is critical for monitoring Chinese and Russian naval activity in the Arctic. “I’m talking about protecting the free world,” he stated.
Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr., recently visited Greenland, describing the trip as a personal day. However, Frederiksen dismissed any official implications, stating no meetings with Danish or Greenlandic officials were planned.
Eyeing Canada’s Annexation
Trump also turned his attention to Canada, calling the two countries’ shared border an “artificially drawn line.” He criticized Canada for benefiting from U.S. military spending and took issue with imports of Canadian cars, lumber, and dairy products. “They should be a state,” Trump said.
Outgoing Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau dismissed the suggestion outright, saying there wasn’t “a snowball’s chance in hell” that Canada would merge with the U.S. Despite the strong pushback, Trump maintained that the U.S. should reconsider its relationship with Canada, the second-largest country by area and home to 41 million people.
Revisiting the Panama Canal
Trump also reignited his campaign to reclaim control of the Panama Canal, claiming its current management poses risks to U.S. interests. “The canal is vital to our country,” he said, alleging it is “being operated by China.”
The Panama Canal, which connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, was built by the U.S. in the early 1900s. The U.S. maintained control over the canal zone until 1977, when treaties brokered by President Jimmy Carter gradually transferred it to Panama. Trump described this decision as a “big mistake,” though Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino rejected Trump’s claims, insisting there is no Chinese interference in the canal’s operations.
The Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison Holdings manages two ports near the canal’s entrances, but Panama has firmly stated that the waterway remains under its sovereign control.
Economic Plans Take a Back Seat
The news conference, originally intended to highlight a $20 billion investment from Dubai developer Damac Properties in U.S. data centers, veered off course as Trump delved into territorial expansion, environmental regulations, and a host of other topics.
He proposed renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America” and reiterated his disdain for wind power, claiming wind turbines harm marine life. “They’re driving the whales crazy,” he remarked.
Trump also criticized the U.S. election system and dismissed ongoing legal cases against him. In a particularly unusual comment, he suggested Hezbollah, the Islamist militant group, had been involved in the 2021 U.S. Capitol riot, a claim unsupported by evidence.
Territorial Expansion: Rhetoric or Reality?
Since winning re-election, Trump has repeatedly floated the idea of U.S. territorial expansion. Critics and allies alike are unsure how seriously to take these remarks, particularly when they concern annexing Canada or reclaiming the Panama Canal.
While Trump insists these moves are crucial for economic and national security, they have sparked fierce resistance from the countries involved. Experts caution that any attempt to annex territories would face insurmountable legal, political, and diplomatic hurdles.
For now, Trump’s rhetoric has left global leaders wary and uncertain, even as his administration continues to press forward with its unconventional approach to foreign policy.