Donald Trump's renewed push to acquire Greenland is not offhand, with experts confirming it remains a serious focus. In parallel, he hints at annexing Canada and leaves open the possibility of using force in Panama, fueling concerns about his expansionist ambitions.
Trump's Proposal to Annex Canada Sparks Controversy
According to CNN host Kaitlan Collins and New York Times writer Maggie Haberman, President-elect Trump's proposal to annex Canada is obviously a "troll" intended as a "dominance play," while any idea that he is riffing on the idea of purchasing Greenland is completely fallacious.
"The idea that he's just coming up with this on the fly, that's not the case," Collins told Anderson Cooper, another CNN host, on Tuesday night, in reference to his comments of buying Greenland.
Since at least 2019, Trump has considered buying the large island from Denmark. Collins pointed out that he even assigned John Bolton and other foreign policy advisors the duty of identifying the specifics.
Trump's Greenland Ambitions Resurface Despite Past Setbacks
Although it's clear he's entertained the idea, she noted that it fizzled out after making headlines in the Wall Street Journal, but he still considers it.
Furthermore, the Panama Canal has recently captured Trump's attention, The Raw Story shares.
She mentioned that he has spent a lot of time discussing Chinese influence and how serious he gets when he talks about it behind closed doors. It's worth mentioning that Panamanian officials have denied any negotiations regarding the canal.
Panama Canal and Military Force Speculation
Collins pointed out that Trump's suggestion on Tuesday that he hadn't officially ruled out the possibility of militarily seizing the Panama Canal shocked even those within his inner circle.
Because it differs from any security-related discussion or treaty, Collins reasoned that this is the fundamental question that will arise. With those words, Trump makes it clear that he isn't ruling out the possibility of resorting to military force to further his interests in this matter.
Expert Analysis on Trump's Greenland Strategy
Collins had Haberman's full support in her reporting, especially in how she described Trump's comments regarding Greenland.
"These things are not all the same. Panama is a relatively new focus of his, as Kaitlan said. Greenland - not only has he been talking about it for some time, a lot of people have been talking about it. This idea of acquiring Greenland for strategic purposes has happened for decades," according to Haberman.
Ron Lauder's Role in Trump's Expansionist Ideas
The concept has "never entirely gone away," according to Haberman, and it was proposed to Trump by billionaire Ron Lauder, who is the heir to the Estée Lauder cosmetics empire.
She elaborated on how Trump's expansionist mentality is apparent to see. Furthermore, he continues to discuss Canada as the 51st state. Evidently, that is more of a troll attempt and a display of power.
