President-elect Trump suggests using force to expand US territory, targeting Panama Canal, Greenland, and Canada.

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Craig Nigrelli Anchor

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Trump suggests using military, economic force to expand America

Jan 8

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Craig Nigrelli Anchor

By Craig Nigrelli (Anchor), Brock Koller (Senior Producer), Shea Taylor (Producer), Kaleb Gillespie (Video Editor)

In a wide-ranging press conference from Mar-a-Lago on Tuesday, President-elect Donald Trump touched on a bunch of topics, including a $20 billion foreign investment to build data centers in the U.S. He also discussed plans to revoke Biden’s recent ban on offshore oil and natural gas drilling as well as expansion strategies for the United States.

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Trump reiterated his goals of acquiring the Panama Canal, which has been under Panama’s sole control since 1999, and Greenland, a territory of Denmark.

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Greenland ‘not for sale’

Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr., is leading an American delegation currently in Greenland, though the country’s prime minister said he is there as “a private individual.”

The Prime Minister of Denmark Mette Frederiksen responded to Trump’s remarks Tuesday, saying Greenland was not for sale.

Greenlandic Prime Minister Múte Egede reiterated this point, saying “Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders. Our future and fight for independence is our business.”

A reporter asked the president-elect if he could assure that he would not use any military force to take control of either the Panama Canal or Greenland.

“I can’t assure you, you’re talking about Panama and Greenland,” Trump replied. “No, I can’t assure you on either of those two but, I can say this we need them for economic security. The Panama Canal was built for a military. I’m not going to commit to that now.”

In response to those remarks, the prime minister of Denmark called the United States its country’s “closest ally” and did not believe the U.S. would use any force to secure Greenland.

Panama’s foreign minister repeated earlier comments from the country’s president that the sovereignty of the Panama Canal is not negotiable.

Trump aims for Canada

Trump also said he is looking to turn Canada into the 51st state, but said in that case he would not use military force to do so.

There isn’t a snowball’s chance in hell that Canada would become part of the United States.

Workers and communities in both our countries benefit from being each other’s biggest trading and security partner.
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) January 7, 2025

“[I’d use] economic force because Canada and the United States — that would really be something,” he said. “You get rid of that artificially drawn line, and you take a look at what that looks like. It would also be much better for national security. Don’t forget, we basically protect Canada.”

Outgoing Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau issued his response in a post on X saying, “There isn’t a snowball’s chance in hell that Canada would become part of the United States.”

Trump’s ‘Gulf of America?’

The president-elect also spoke of one more geographical goal of his in the upcoming term: to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America,” saying it “has a beautiful ring to it.”

Not long after his remarks, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., said she directed her staff to draft legislation for the name change.

Tags: Canada, Donald Trump, Greenland, Justin Trudeau, Mar-a-Lago, Panama

[craig nigrelli]

IN A WIDE-RANGING PRESS CONFERENCE FROM MAR-A-LAGO ON TUESDAY – PRESIDENT-ELECT DONALD TRUMP TOUCHED ON A BUNCH OF TOPICS, INCLUDING A 20 BILLION DOLLAR FOREIGN INVESTMENT TO BUILD DATA CENTERS IN THE U.S. ALSO, HIS PLANS TO REVOKE PRESIDENT BIDEN’S RECENT BAN ON OFFSHORE OIL AND NATURAL GAS DRILLING AND EXPANSION STRATEGIES FOR THE UNITED STATES.

TRUMP REPEATED HIS GOALS OF ACQUIRING THE PANAMA CANAL, WHICH HAS BEEN UNDER PANAMA’S SOLE CONTROL SINCE 1999, AND GREENLAND, A TERRITORY OF DENMARK. TRUMP’S SON – DONALD TRUMP JR. IS LEADING AN AMERICAN DELEGATION THAT IS CURRENTLY IN GREENLAND – THOUGH THE COUNTRY’S PRIME MINISTER SAYS DON JR. IS THERE AS “A PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL.”

A REPORTER ASKED THE PRESIDENT-ELECT IF HE CAN ASSURE THAT HE WOULD NOT USE ANY MILITARY FORCE TO TAKE CONTROL OF EITHER THE PANAMA CANAL OR GREENLAND, TRUMP RESPONDED —

“I can’t assure you, you’re talking about Panama and Greenland. No, I can’t assure you on either of those two but, I can say this we need them for economic security. The Panama Canal was built for a military. I’m not going to commit to that now it might it that you’ll have to do something.”

IN RESPONSE TO THESE REMARKS, THE PRIME MINISTER OF DENMARK CALLED THE UNITED STATES ITS COUNTRY’S “ CLOSEST ALLY” AND DID NOT BELIEVE THE U.S. WOULD USE ANY FORCE TO SECURE GREENLAND.

WHILE PANAMA’S FOREIGN MINISTER REPEATED EARLIER COMMENTS FROM THE COUNTRY’S PRESIDENT – THAT THE SOVEREIGNTY OF THE PANAMA CANAL IS NOT NEGOTIABLE.

TRUMP ALSO SAID HE IS LOOKING TO TURN CANADA INTO THE 51ST STATE – BUT IN THIS CASE — WOULD NOT USE MILITARY FORCE TO DO SO.

“No. Economic force because Canada and the United States, that would really be something. You get rid of that artificially drawn line and you take a look at what that looks like. It would also be much better for national security. Don’t forget, we basically protect Canada.”

OUTGOING CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER JUSTIN TRUDEAU ISSUED HIS RESPONSE IN A POST ON X – SAYING – “THERE ISN’T A SNOWBALL’S CHANCE IN HELL THAT CANADA WOULD BECOME PART OF THE UNITED STATES.”

AND THE PRESIDENT-ELECT SPOKE OF ONE MORE GEOGRAPHICAL GOAL OF HIS IN THE UPCOMING TERM – TO RENAME THE GULF OF MEXICO – THE GULF OF AMERICA – SAYING IT QUOTE “HAS A BEAUTIFUL RING TO IT.”

NOT LONG AFTER HIS REMARKS – REPUBLICAN CONGRESSWOMAN MARJORIE TAYLOR GREEN OF GEORGIA, SAID SHE HAS DIRECTED HER STAFF TO BEGIN DRAFTING LEGISLATION FOR THE NAME CHANGE.