“Great Continent America”? Donald Trump seeks expansion through purchasing nations

The elected US President Donald Trump

Photo: AP

President-elect Donald Trump added two more regions, including a country, to its buying list on Sunday. After repeatedly teasing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau about making Canada the 51st country, Trump set his sights on the Panama Canal and even Greenland. The Republican has proposed invading Mexico and sanctioning Cuba since winning the 2024 election.

Over the weekend, Trump called for the Panama Canal to be returned to the United States and accused Panama of charging excessive fees given possible Chinese influence.

“The fees charged by Panama are ridiculous, especially given the extraordinary generosity that has been shown to Panama by the United States,” the president-elect wrote on his Truth Social platform late Saturday. “This complete ‘rip-off’ of our country will stop immediately…”

Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino quickly dismissed his counterpart’s threats, claiming: “Every square meter of the Panama Canal and its adjacent zones is part of Panama.”

Just hours later, on Sunday, Donald Trump indicated he wanted to buy Greenland. The island belongs to the Kingdom of Denmark, but is an autonomous entity.

Trump announced PayPal co-founder Ken Howery as his pick for U.S. ambassador to Denmark, writing: “For the purposes of national security and freedom around the world, the United States of America believes that the property and “Control of Greenland is an absolute necessity.” Ken will do an excellent job representing the interests of the United States.”

Donald Trump’s warning comes days after he claimed Canadians might want to make Canada the 51st state in the U.S. and derided Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as “Governor Trudeau.” The president-elect reportedly first suggested the idea during a meeting with the prime minister at his Mar-a-Lago resort.

Just last month, reports said Trump’s team was debating “how far” to invade Mexico. Rolling Stone quoted a senior member of the transition team as adding that the new government was discussing a “soft invasion” of its neighbor.