President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday suggested he would consider using military force to gain control of the Panama Canal and Greenland, and “economic force” to acquire Canada.
During a free-wheeling news conference at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, Trump was asked by a reporter if he could assure the public that he would not use military coercion against Panama or Greenland, a goal he has floated in recent weeks. “No, I can’t assure you on either of those two, but I can say this, we need them for economic security,” Trump said. He said later that he would not use military force against Canada, only “economic force.”
“That would really be something,” Trump said of the U.S. taking control of Canada.
“You get rid of that artificially drawn line, and you take a look at what that looks like. And it would also be much better for national security,” Trump said. “They’re great, but we’re spending hundreds of billions here to protect it.” Trump said that the subsidies include substantial military support and that the U.S. loses out through trade deficits.
It’s not immediately clear which funds Trump was referring to, but he has frequently complained about NATO allies including Canada not paying enough for defense spending. The U.S. and Canada also have a shared military alliance through North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD.)
He has quipped lately that it should become the 51st state and on Tuesday said that he had joked with hockey legend Wayne Gretzky, a Canadian, about becoming “governor.” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s 10-year term came to an abrupt end on Monday in part due to party infighting over his handling of Trump and the promise of 25% tariffs that Trump has promised to enact.
Since winning the 2024 presidential election, Trump has touted a strategic interest for the U.S. in purchasing Greenland, an Arctic island that is part of Danish territory, reiterating his desire to acquire it last month. It’s not a new idea for Trump: A gambit to purchase Greenland was mocked when it came up during his first term in office. His eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., was on the ground Tuesday filming for a documentary accompanied by at least two incoming White House officials.
“Well, we need greater national security purposes. I’ve been told that for a long time, long before I even ran,” Trump told reporters. “You have approximately 45,000 people there. People really don’t even know that Denmark has any legal right to it, but if they do, they should give it up because we need it for national security.” He threatened to levy tariffs on Denmark at “a very high level” if it thwarted efforts by the Arctic island to seek independence or to join the U.S.
In a video posted to social media earlier in the day, Trump called into a lunch event on the island with Trump Jr.
