Donald Trump knows how to delight his fans and confound his enemies. The prospect of a Greater Trumpland, with new borders drawn up by the President-elect, has created a global tizzy.
His press conference at Mar-a-Lago appeared to be a stream-of-consciousness melee of ideas, from ridiculing low pressure showers that “drip, drip, drip” to presenting aggressive, expansionist plans for America straight out of a “how-to-rule” manual for strongmen and dictators.
“What a dripshit,” the late-night TV comedian Jimmy Kimmel scoffed. Others have described Trump’s proposal to acquire Greenland and reclaim the Panama Canal – without ruling out using military might – as insane. The internet is lighting up with memes of Canada slathered in the stars and stripes after Trump also said he would use “economic force” to turn the US’s northern neighbour into the 51st state.
By now, though, Trump has proved that he deserves to be taken seriously and literally. In fact, he has a cunning plan that could work to America’s advantage. Trump thinks the US should be as aggressive at promoting its interests as the other great powers he respects (notably Russia and China). It’s the essence of America First – not an isolationist foreign policy, but a muscle-bound one that relies on a show of strength.
It wouldn’t surprise me in the least if the world’s most powerful property mogul succeeded in buying Greenland. Being Trump, he also joked about the idea of “Making Greenland Great Again”. But it is at least possible that the 56,600 inhabitants of the world’s biggest island might be tempted to join the richest country in the world.
As a dual US/UK citizen, I can see the attraction. Donald Trump Jr, who dropped in on Greenland for a few brief daylight hours, said he met dozens of islanders who loved the idea. Well, he would, wouldn’t he. But he may be right about people’s disaffection with Denmark, the colonial power which acquired Greenland formally by treaty in 1814.
“So many of these young kids came up to us and said, ‘We’re treated like second-class citizens, they tell us to go home,’” Don Jr told Fox News. “They just want to live their best lives, just as we want to in America, and utilise the resources they have in the ground.”
Who is to say they wouldn’t vote to merge with the US? Every year nearly 10 million people worldwide apply for the US Green Card Lottery, lured by the prospect of US citizenship.
There is no doubt that the national security value of Greenland to the US is immense. This is why it is already home to a former US air base, now repurposed as a Space Force base (the Space Force, remember, was set up by Trump). With its large oil and gas deposits, as well as rare earth materials and uranium, its massive economic potential is largely untapped.
As for Panama, Trump is very unlikely to invade. Instead, he is practising the art of the deal. His threats are largely aimed at reducing the high shipping rates for US and other vessels, which were raised after a severe drought affecting the canal in 2023. Trump may also succeed in bullying Panama into expelling the Hong Kong based company, CK Hutchinson Holdings, which manages the canal’s two entrances, and installing a US company in its place.
If I was still in No 11, I'd be worried about Trump's plans
Read MoreThere are genuine security implications for allowing China to gather data on all ships, including naval vessels, coming through one of the world’s most vital waterways. The canal was in US hands until President Jimmy Carter gave it away in 1978. His successor, Ronald Reagan, complained that America was its rightful owner. “We bought it; we paid for it; we built it,” he said.
Finally, what about Canada? We can safely say that it is not going to become America’s 51st state. Trump is undoubtedly trolling a country he regards as far too liberal and similar in political character to Europe. Frankly, though, he has already succeeded in asserting America’s dominance over its neighbour by drumming Justin Trudeau out of office.
Trudeau’s replacement as prime minister is likely to be conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, a populist Trump mini-me who will accept that Canada is an economic vassal and work closely with the new administration on reducing threatened 25 per cent tariffs. That’s a win for Trump.
There are, however, wider geopolitical and strategic concerns about Trump’s proposals. Clearly, annexing Greenland and the Panama Canal sends a disturbing message to an expansionist Russia and China, whose impact should not be underestimated. Trump described Putin’s invasion of Ukraine as “genius” and “savvy” in 2022 and China has been ramping up its military threats against Taiwan.
Trump wants to join the club of leaders who have expanded their nations’ borders. In doing so, he is leaving the world’s most vulnerable countries prey to the biggest sharks.
Sarah Baxter is director of the Marie Colvin Centre
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