On SiriusXM's The Megyn Kelly Show, Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended President Trump's controversial pursuit of Greenland and the Canal, describing the initiative as a strategic countermeasure to thwart China's expanding Arctic ambitions and secure vital U.S. shipping lanes.
The acquisition of Greenland and control of the Panama Canal by the United States is vital to U.S. national security, according to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who justified Trump's desire in this matter.
Rubio made it clear that this undertaking requires significant consideration during an appearance on "The Megyn Kelly Show" on SiriusXM.
The secretary of state assured Megyn Kelly that this is serious, that it is not about buying land for the sake of buying land, but rather that it is in the best interest of the country and that a solution is necessary.
Trump has previously refused to rule out the possibility of using the military to acquire the area from Denmark. However, Rubio played down Trump's statement, stating that he is a businessman interested in politics, not a politician involved in politics.
He elaborated by saying that Trump views these matters through a transactional, corporate lens. According to Rubio, the president will not start what he sees as a discussion or negotiation by removing any form of leverage; he wants to purchase it and pay for it.
At the same time that Trump is increasing the amount of energy that is produced domestically in the United States, Rubio noted that the Arctic Circle would become "critical for shipping lanes." He also expressed his concern that Denmark will not be able to stop China if the communist power sets its sights on Greenland.
He informed Kelly that the United States of America needed to be prepared to protect the Arctic since it contains some of the most valuable shipping channels in the world.
"It is completely realistic to believe that the Chinese will eventually, maybe in the short term, try to do in Greenland what they have done at the Panama Canal and in other places, and that is install facilities that give them access to the Arctic, with the cover of a Chinese company," Rubio went on to say, while sounding the alarm that these companies would have "a dual purpose" and make it easier for the United States to send naval vessels to confrontations in the future.