President-elect Donald Trump appears to be thinking about North American territorial expansion which, if confirmed, would conflict with the Louisiana Purchase or the agreement that took Alaska from Russia.
Last week, Trump taunted Canadian officials by suggesting the US could absorb its northern neighbor and make it the 51st state. It threatened to seize the Panama Canal, the North American-made waterway controlled for a quarter of a century by its Central American namesake. And, on Sunday, he once again expressed his desire in his first term to obtain Greenland, a Danish territory that he has long sought after.
With Trump, the differences between serious policy proposals and rhetorical flourishes designed to spark media attention or energize his base are not always clear. On other occasions, their provocations seem to be the first attempts at negotiation.
In fact, when Trump voiced his threat to retake the Panama Canal this weekend, he did so with a way out for the country to avoid his wrath: lower rates for U.S. ships using the passage to travel between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.
“Therefore, to the employees of Panama, please be guided accordingly,” he warned on Sunday, during a speech before conservative activists in Arizona.
However, the suggestions are very similar when it comes to expanding the United States’ presence abroad. And for someone who argued during the campaign that the United States should pull back on foreign intervention, the ideas have modern echoes of the 19th-century doctrine of Manifest Destiny — a belief in the United States’ divine right to expand across the continent.
On Sunday night, Trump called holding Greenland an “absolute necessity” for “the purposes of national security and freedom around the world.” His proposal to seize the Panama Canal — which he described as a “vital national asset” despite it being out of U.S. control for decades — reflects an equally nationalist agenda that Trump often describes as “America First.”
Speaking in Arizona this weekend, Trump also reiterated plans to designate drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, a distinction that could precede the use of military force on Mexican soil. Trump threatened to bomb fentanyl labs and send special forces to eliminate cartel leaders, a raid that could violate Mexico’s sovereignty and disrupt relations with the United States’ biggest trading partner.
Trump’s transition team declined to clarify whether these latest statements reflect genuine ambitions or other motivations, referring to the president-elect’s recent comments and social media posts.
Several people close to Trump’s transition project were unable to identify the origins of his sudden interest in ongoing activities at the Panama Canal, a topic that was not addressed during the campaign. One adviser, however, noted that Trump regularly elevates causes brought to his attention by people ranging from longtime friends to new acquaintances, if you like the idea. Since winning the election last month, Trump has spent most days entertaining close allies, business titans, donors and heads of state at his Palm Beach estate.
Another adviser said concerns about the treatment of U.S. companies in Panama likely resonated with Trump because “trade is a priority for him.” Pressuring Panama to lower fees on ships using the canal could also help offset an expected increase in product costs resulting from tariffs Trump plans to impose on foreign goods.
“I always take him seriously, even if it seems a little exaggerated,” said Florida Republican Party Representative Carlos Gimenez, referring to Trump’s statements on Fox Business on Monday. “It’s a legitimate threat to Panama.”
Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino published a lengthy statement on social media, in Spanish and English, declaring that ownership of the port is “non-negotiable.” Built in the early 20th century, the canal was operated by the US until 1999, when it was completely turned over to Panama under a treaty signed by President Jimmy Carter two decades earlier that guaranteed US use of the canal in perpetuity.
“I want to express precisely that every square meter of the Panama Canal and its adjacent area belongs to Panama, and will continue to do so,” Mulino wrote.
However, the response did little to discourage Trump and his allies, who responded with memes and images on social media, doubling down on their latest cause.
“Welcome to the US Canal,” Trump posted on Truth Social, along with an image of a US flag sailing in the waterway.
Speaking to CNN’s Andres Oppenheimer, in an interview that will air this Sunday, Mulino mocked Trump’s criticism that Panama is not capable of ensuring the canal’s operation. “This is a manifestation of gross ignorance of history. The canal will celebrate 25 years under the hands of Panama, under the administration of Panama, on December 31st,” he argued, highlighting the work, including an expansion project, that Panama has carried out since the US handed it over, which, according to him, “it leaves multimillion-dollar profits for the national economy.”
Trump’s proposal to buy Greenland from Denmark, which he first put forward in his first term, was similarly rejected.
The Danish autonomous territory’s prime minister, Mute Egede, wrote in a Facebook post on Monday: “Greenland is ours” and “we are not for sale and will never be for sale.”
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen’s office — which called first-term Trump’s suggestion that Greenland could be purchased “absurd” — echoed Egede.
“The government is looking forward to working with the new administration [Trump]. In a complex political and security situation like the one we are currently experiencing, transatlantic cooperation is crucial,” said a statement on Monday. “With regard to the statements regarding Greenland, the Prime Minister’s Office has no comment, other than the reference to what was said by the Prime Minister of Greenland about the fact that Greenland is not for sale, but open to cooperation ,” the statement added.
Trump first discussed the idea privately and confirmed it publicly in 2019, although he ended up downplaying his interest.
“Strategically it’s interesting, and we would be interested, but let’s talk to them a little”, I said at the time. “It’s not the first priority, I can tell you.”
However, he insisted on the idea on Sunday in a press release announcing PayPay co-founder Ken Howery as his choice to serve as ambassador to Denmark.
Trump’s proposal to annex Canada appears to be much less serious and is more of a public criticism of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau after the two recently had dinner at Mar-a-Lago. The president-elect, however, continued to toy with the idea on social media.
“I think this is a great idea,” he wrote in a recent post.
The episode stems from another provocation by Trump, this one to implement 25% tariffs on products originating in Canada and Mexico, which is illustrative of his approach to negotiations with foreign leaders.
In many ways, the move produced the intended result: leaders of both countries immediately sought an audience with Trump to reaffirm their commitment to helping the US with border issues. Furthermore, it provided Trump with an opportunity to claim victory over a foreign target.
“President Trump is securing the border,” his transition team wrote in a recent statement. “And he hasn’t even taken office yet,” he added.
