President-elect Donald Trump has expressed curiosity in buying Greenland since his first time period in workplace.
The curiosity has been renewed and extra obvious in latest days, as his eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., was visiting the world’s largest island, and in remarks Trump made throughout a press convention on Tuesday.
Trump additionally expressed curiosity in buying the Panama Canal – a lot so, that he mentioned he will not rule out the usage of army drive to grab management of both or each territories.
So, what’s the draw? Right here’s what to find out about Trump’s curiosity in Greenland and the Panama Canal:
Why Greenland?
Trump has repeated his perception that Greenland is of significant nationwide safety curiosity to the USA.
The island is a semiautonomous territory of Denmark, a longtime U.S. ally and a founding member of NATO. Additionally it is residence to a big U.S. army base.
The land is wealthy in invaluable uncommon earth minerals, similar to uranium, in addition to billions of untapped barrels of oil and an enormous provide of pure fuel.
And, on a worldwide scale, Greenland will likely be an growing focus by means of the twenty first century, specialists say, due to the impact its melting ice may have on sea ranges.
Trump and Greenland
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump speaks to members of the media throughout a press convention on the Mar-a-Lago Membership on January 07, 2025 in Palm Seaside, Florida. (Photograph by Scott Olson/Getty Photographs)
As talked about, Trump’s curiosity in buying Greenland dates again to at the least his first presidential time period. And the curiosity hasn’t waned over time.
In a Fact Social submit on Monday, Trump mentioned he was “listening to that the individuals of Greenland are ‘MAGA’.” He connected a video that purportedly exhibits a Greenlander asking the U.S. to purchase his nation.
Donald Trump Jr. paid a go to to Greenland on Tuesday. The journey was a private one and Greenlandic representatives wouldn’t be assembly with him, The Related Press reported.
In the meantime, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has emphasised that Greenland shouldn’t be on the market.
Trump and Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a maritime shortcut, linking the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, that saves time and prices in transporting all types of products.
Trump additionally believes management of the Panama Canal to be very important to American nationwide safety, and is upset over elevated transport costs and believes the U.S. is getting “ripped off.”
Transport costs have elevated due to droughts final 12 months affecting the canal locks, forcing Panama to drastically lower transport site visitors by means of the canal and lift charges to make use of it, based on The Related Press.
The Panama Canal has been solely managed by Panama for greater than 25 years. Beneath the Jimmy Carter administration, the U.S. returned the Panama Canal Zone to the nation in 1979 and ended its joint partnership in controlling the strategic waterway in 1999.
Panamanian leaders usually are not entertaining the thought of returning management.
“The sovereignty of our canal shouldn’t be negotiable and is a part of our historical past of wrestle and an irreversible conquest,” Panamanian International Minister Javier Martínez-Acha mentioned.
Trump and Canada
Trump has additionally floated having Canada be part of the USA because the 51st state.
He mentioned Tuesday that he wouldn’t use army drive to invade the nation, which is residence to greater than 40 million individuals and is a founding NATO companion.
As an alternative, he mentioned, he would depend on “financial drive.”
Justin Trudeau, the nation’s outgoing prime minister, mentioned, “There isn’t a snowball’s likelihood in hell that Canada would turn out to be a part of the USA.”
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Since his first run for the White Home in 2016, Trump has repeatedly clashed with Mexico over various points.
Promising a “Golden age of America,” Trump additionally mentioned Tuesday he would transfer to attempt to rename the Gulf of Mexico because the “Gulf of America,” saying that it has a “stunning ring to it.”
Simply after his feedback, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene mentioned she’ll be introducing laws “ASAP” to help the identify change.
RELATED: Trump says he desires to rename Gulf of Mexico to ‘Gulf of America’
The Supply: Data on this article was taken from Trump’s remarks throughout his Jan. 7, 2025, press convention from Mar-a-Lago, and his public Fact Social account. Background data was taken from earlier FOX Tv Stations reporting and The Related Press. This story was reported from Detroit.
