U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday declined to rule out using military or economic force to acquire the Panama Canal and Greenland, underscoring a bold expansionist agenda that has sparked global backlash just weeks before his Jan. 20 inauguration.
During a press conference at his Florida resort, Trump dismissed concerns about possible coercion, saying both territories are critical for U.S. economic security. “No, I can’t assure you on either of those two. But I can say this, we need them for economic security,” Trump said.
Trump has previously floated an offer to purchase Greenland, a self-governing part of Denmark, and has criticized the U.S. handover of the Panama Canal to Panama in 1999. His rhetoric has fueled concerns among allies over his unorthodox approach to foreign policy.
Denmark and Panama quickly pushed back on Trump’s comments. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen reaffirmed Greenland’s status as not for sale, adding, “I don’t think it’s a good way forward to fight each other with financial means when we are close allies and partners.”
Panama’s Foreign Minister Javier Martinez-Acha called Trump’s remarks unacceptable, stating, “The only hands that control the canal are Panamanian, and that’s how it will continue to be.”
Trump also proposed renaming the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America and criticized American spending on Canadian goods and military aid. He described the U.S.-Canada border as an “artificially drawn line” and suggested Canada could become a U.S. state, provoking a strong response from Canadian officials.
Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly said Trump’s remarks displayed a “complete lack of understanding” about Canada’s sovereignty. “We will never back down in the face of threats,” Joly wrote on social media.
Trump also proposed that NATO members increase their defense spending to 5% of their GDP, up from the current 2% target. “They can all afford it, but they should be at 5%, not 2%,” he said, criticizing allies for what he views as insufficient contributions to the alliance.
On the Middle East, Trump warned Hamas militants holding hostages abducted from Israel during the Oct. 7 attack to release them before his inauguration, threatening severe consequences. “It will not be good for Hamas, and it will not be good, frankly, for anyone,” he said.
The press conference, held in the ornate living room of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort, echoed the defiance and grievances that defined his presidential campaign. Trump criticized ongoing legal proceedings against him, including an upcoming sentencing for falsifying business records in New York and a separate investigation into his handling of classified documents.
As Trump outlined his vision, critics compared his foreign policy approach to “19th-century imperialism.” Ambassador Daniel Fried, a retired U.S. diplomat, said any attempt to seize Greenland would “destroy NATO” and undermine the United States’ standing on the global stage.
Despite the backlash, Trump doubled down on his rhetoric, emphasizing his belief that U.S. power must be expanded. His controversial proposals, including the renaming of geographic features like the Gulf of Mexico, have raised alarm among allies and drawn sharp rebukes from foreign governments.
