From Isolationism to Imperialism: Trump’s threats to Annex Greenland, Canada, and Panama
Image Courtesy: O Mundo Diplomático
Donald Trump has never been one for subtlety, but his latest rhetoric—a curious cocktail of realpolitik and bravado—has taken his ambitions to unprecedented heights. Whether it's the icy expanse of Greenland, the northern charm of Canada, or the tropical transit hub of the Panama Canal, Trump’s bold assertions suggest a pivot from “America First” to “America Everywhere.” Yet, as with much of Trump’s politics, it’s hard to tell where the strategy ends, and the spectacle begins.
Greenland: “Make Greenland Great Again”
Trump’s fixation on Greenland, once dismissed as “cross-continental trolling,” has resurged with renewed vigour. What began as a punchline during his first presidency now comes cloaked in the language of national security and economic opportunity. In December 2024, Donald Trump Jr. visited Nuuk, Greenland, while his father declared on Truth Social, “Make Greenland Great Again!” Greenlanders, however, remain unmoved, for now.
“The majority in Greenland find it quite scary and quite uncomfortable … that the U.S., in a disrespectful way, is showing that they would like to be buying Greenland or controlling Greenland,” said Aaja Chemnitz, a Greenland resident and Danish Parliament member. Former U.S. ambassador to Denmark Rufus Gifford was equally dismissive: “Any Danish prime minister that loses Greenland in this day and age would be the laughingstock of the country… forever.”
Yet, Trump’s allies have defended the idea. Carla Sands, a former U.S. ambassador to Denmark, argued it was a matter of strategic necessity. “We are great partners and allies with Denmark, but good friends sometimes have to have tough conversations,” Sands said, citing Greenland’s vulnerability to “bad actors” and emphasising its value to U.S. national security. Critics, however, warn that any move on Greenland could spark a NATO crisis, with Gifford noting, “Military incursion would invoke NATO’s Article Five,” requiring all member states to defend it.
Canada: The “51st State?”
While Trump’s interest in Greenland holds a veneer of strategic logic, his musings about annexing Canada seem more personal. Frustrated with what he calls Canada’s “freeloading” off U.S. defence spending, Trump has floated the idea of economic pressure to assert dominance. We are “spending hundreds of billions a year to take care of Canada,” he declared, branding the northern border “an artificially drawn line.”
Ex Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was quick to respond: “There isn’t a snowball’s chance in hell that Canada would become part of the United States.” Trump escalated his rhetoric, jokingly referring to Trudeau as “Gov. Trudeau” and claiming, “Canadians would love to be the 51st state.”
John Bolton, Trump’s former national security adviser, dismissed the remarks as erratic provocations. “There is no philosophy behind Trump’s statements. There is no strategy. This is this week’s series of neuron flashes,” he said.
The Panama Canal: Reviving the Monroe Doctrine?
Trump’s comments surrounding the Panama Canal hearkens back to decades-old debates about U.S. influence in Latin America. Long critical of Jimmy Carter’s decision to return control of the canal to Panama, Trump now accuses the country of favouring Chinese shipping over American vessels. “We didn’t give it to China, and they’ve abused it,” he falsely claimed, sparking fears of foreign dominance.
Panama’s President José Raúl Mulino quickly rebutted, asserting, “Every square meter of the canal belongs to Panama and will continue to be so.” Former U.S. ambassador John D. Feeley echoed this sentiment, noting that “In the real world, Panama is not about to return the canal,” but what Trump has done is solidify “tremendous support among the 4.3 million Panamanians around Mulino,” Feeley warned.
Echoes of Empire
Expansionism has long shaped American history, blending ambition with controversy. Thomas Jefferson envisioned an “empire of liberty,” advocating for the conquest of Canada in 1809. Decades later, Secretary of State James Byrnes proposed purchasing Greenland in 1946 to secure U.S. interests. The Monroe Doctrine, originally introduced in 1823 to deter European interference, became a justification for interventions across the Americas. Ronald Reagan echoed this tradition, defending military aid to El Salvador in 1981 and opposing Gerald Ford’s plan to cede the Panama Canal, declaring, “We built it, we bought it, and we’re going to keep it!”
Trump’s rhetoric, while often laced with bombast, aligns with a lineage of American leaders who have sought to redefine the nation’s boundaries—physically, politically, or ideologically. What he says may provoke, but the themes he touches on are far from unprecedented.
Whether Trump’s proposals signal the dawn of a new imperial reality or serve as another chapter in his reality-TV brand of politics, they underscore a deeper shift in America’s self-perception.
For now, Trump’s ambitions remain firmly in the realm of rhetoric. Yet, in true Trumpian fashion, they have reframed discussions of America’s global role, leaving both supporters and sceptics caught between fascination and disbelief. Whether history will remember these moments as a bold reimagining of power or as spectacle-driven theatre remains uncertain—but the world, as ever, is watching.