President-elect Donald Trump suggested Tuesday 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 United States’ 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 United States loses out through trade deficits.
It’s not immediately clear which funds Trump was referring to, but he has frequently complained about Canada and other NATO allies’ not paying enough for defense spending. The United States and Canada also have a shared military alliance through North American Aerospace Defense Command.
Trump on Tuesday night posted an image on Truth Social of the two countries with the U.S. flag emblazoned across them, writing, “Oh Canada!”
He has quipped lately that it should become the 51st state and said Tuesday 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 Monday in part because of 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 United States 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.
