President-elect Donald Trump is considering expanding the United States’ territorial bounds, an idea that could rival the Louisiana Purchase or the deal that netted Alaska from Russia. In the past week, he has threatened to take over the Panama Canal, which the US operated until 1999, and has revived his long-held desire to obtain Greenland, a Danish territory.
Trump’s comments on the subject are often shrouded in uncertainty, making it difficult to determine whether he is genuinely serious or simply stoking media attention or energizing his base. However, his remarks about taking back the Panama Canal, a vital national asset, and his pitch to acquire Greenland, an “absolute necessity” for national security and freedom, suggest a nationalist agenda.
Trump’s transition team has not clarified whether these statements reflect genuine ambitions, instead pointing back to his recent comments and social media posts. Some of his close advisors believe that Trump often elevates causes brought to his attention by friends, acquaintances, or business associates if it resonates with him.
The suggestions of expansion are strikingly similar to the 19th-century doctrine of Manifest Destiny, which espoused the US’s divine right to expand across the continent. Trump’s threat to take over the Panama Canal, which he described as a “vital national asset,” reflects a nationalist agenda that he often describes as “America First.”
In a speech to conservative activists in Arizona, Trump suggested that the US could absorb Canada, making it the 51st state. This came after he had taunted Canadian officials, and he has continued to tweet about the idea. His plan to seize the Panama Canal, which the US turned over to Panama in 1999, was met with a stern response from Panama’s President José Raúl Mulino, who declared that the ownership of the canal is “not negotiable.”
Trump’s foray into foreign policy has sparked a mix of concern and confusion, with some close to the transition process unsure of the origins of Trump’s latest obsessions. A representative from Florida, Rep. Carlos Gimenez, stated that Trump’s comments are often accompanied by an out for his audience to avoid his wrath, while others believe it could be a step in Trump’s attempts at dealmaking.
The president-elect’s comments on global issues, such as designating drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, have also raised concerns about the potential implications for Mexico’s sovereignty and relations with the US’s largest trading partner.
