The change of course at all levels is a promise made by . However, in the time since the election, the new president seems to be experimenting with new ideas and even more plans. American analysts discern in the more liberated Trump an imperialist disposition, mockingly remarking that “he wants to literally, not figuratively, make America greater”.
The reason is that he proposes ideas like , the annexation of Canada as the 51st State of the USA, its recovery and the scenario of the “gentle invasion” of Mexico. Estimates of how seriously these proposals should be evaluated vary.
In the Democratic camp, they believe that what is said should be taken seriously and remind that Trump is a president who uses the destabilization of partners as a means of exerting pressure.
On the other hand, the new president’s allies distinguish a deliberate dose of exaggeration with elements of humor and intimidation. It is, as they say, about Trump’s well-known foreign policy guide who puts “unconventional ideas” on the table with the aim not of implementing them but of extracting concessions.
New ideas for the next day
Observers seem to agree that in Trump’s mind US territorial expansion is a necessity driven by economic and national security interests. When Trump proposed in 2019 to buy Greenland from Denmark, it was treated as a joke.
But this week he spoke of “an offer the Danes won’t be able to refuse”, a proposal that everyone is now taking seriously. Political analysts attribute Trump’s obsession with the new capital of competition that will open up in the Arctic due to melting ice and the island’s rich reserves of rare metals that are essential for the production of critical technology.
However, Trump also took aim at Panama this week, threatening that the US will re-annex the country’s Canal. In Trump’s eyes, the Panama Canal perhaps represents as much as anything the years of inaction, in which US governments let other countries exploit the US.
Based on his reasoning, it is impermissible for a Canal built by the US and owned by the US until 1999 to charge US ships exorbitant fees and allow it to have increased influence and presence.
The “jokes” and the drones
But Trump’s interventionist mood extended beyond Greenland and Panama. The “jokes” about the annexation of Canada and the reference to the “governor” employ humor to send a very clear message about the tariff issue.
However, the issue that Trump is not joking about is the protection of the southern border. There, as a colleague explained to Rolling Stone magazine, the designation of cartels as “terrorist organizations” would allow for drone strikes inside Mexican territory.
All of this is a reminder that “America First” is not necessarily an isolationist doctrine. Yes, America shouldn’t be everywhere, but that doesn’t mean it can’t intervene much more forcefully and with less restraint where it has core interests.
