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President-elect Donald Trump suggested Wednesday that the United States could take control of Canada, Greenland and the Panama Canal. It’s an unexpected Christmas Day message that has raised concerns among world leaders in recent days as they race to prepare for President Trump’s second term in office.
In a post on Truth Social on Wednesday, President Trump said that before moving on to attack Canada, he would like to thank “everyone,” including “the great Chinese soldiers who lovingly but illegally operate the Panama Canal.” I wish you a Merry Christmas. And Greenland, he again suggested, could be better off under U.S. rule.
President Trump reiterated his claim that U.S. shippers are being forced to pay “ridiculous” and “exorbitant” fees to navigate the Panama Canal, a 51-mile-long man-made waterway that connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Ta. He has suggested, without evidence, that Chinese interests are gaining significant influence over the waterway, a charge categorically denied by Panamanian leaders.
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A ship can be seen in the Gaillard Cut of the Panama Canal. (COBIS/Corbis via Getty Images)
Trump also derisively referred to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as a “governor” in a post on Truth Social on Wednesday, repeating his recent suggestion that Canada become a state in the United States.
President Trump said, “If Canada becomes the 51st state, taxes will be cut by more than 60%, Canadian businesses will instantly double in size, and we will have military protection like no other country in the world.” Deaf,” he said.
Finally, the president-elect turned to Greenland. It is a self-governing and geographically important Arctic location rich in natural resources, including rare earth minerals.
President Trump said Wednesday that the United States “feels an absolute need to own and control Greenland” for reasons of national security and “freedom around the world.”
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in West Palm Beach, Florida on November 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Carolyn Castor)
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Trump’s long-term truth social posts have led some world leaders to closely monitor Trump’s actions and statements in recent weeks for clues about how he will govern in a second term. did little to allay their concerns.
The comments also appear to be at odds with Trump’s long-espoused “America First” policy, which seeks to prioritize domestic policy over expansion and America’s presence abroad.
Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-Mont.) echoed Trump’s concerns in an interview Thursday, calling China’s influence in the Panama Canal and the rising prices it imposes on shippers “a blow beyond the bow.” Ta.
“Don’t forget we have China and Cuba,” Zinke said on “Morning with Maria.” “We have Maduro in Venezuela. We had Russian ships coming there. And the Panama Canal is extremely important to national security. And now this canal is run by the Chinese Communist Party. So that’s a concern. It’s a matter, absolutely.”
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In Tasiilaq, Greenland, the houses are lit up after sunset. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)
To be sure, this is not the first time President Trump has expressed interest in Greenland, a mineral-rich and geographically important region.
In 2019, then-President Trump told reporters he was “interested” in buying Greenland, which he said at the time was “essentially” a “large real estate deal.” However, the 2019 initiative never attracted attention. And this week, Greenland’s Prime Minister Mute Egede quickly poured cold water on the idea that the territory could be sold to the United States.
“Greenland is ours,” Greenland Prime Minister Mute Egede said this week in response to President Trump’s proposal.
“We are not for sale and we will never be for sale,” he said. “We must not lose the age-old struggle for freedom.”
Meanwhile, Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino has also expressed concerns that U.S. vessels are being specially selected or paid higher fees to transit through the Panama Canal, and that since the 1970s, ownership has been He challenged the idea that the United States had any rights in phasing it out. Reconfirm shipping waypoint controls.
In a video posted on social media earlier this week, Mulino reassured the public that “our sovereignty and independence are non-negotiable.”
The Panama Canal is one of the world’s largest and most strategically important goods transportation waterways. It handles approximately 5% of all global seaborne trade and approximately 40% of U.S. container shipping volume.
Beautiful Gatun Lake and Panama Canal. (Danuta Hamlin)
Recent price increases are largely a result of drought and increased competition, with water levels plummeting to record lows last year. Water levels have since recovered, but the canal operator has been forced to temporarily restrict ship traffic and increase costs for ships using the waypoint.
Other factors are also influencing the rise in sea freight prices.
A series of attacks on ships in the Red Sea late last year prompted many major commodity shippers, including BP and Equinor, to suspend shipments or reroute them away from the Suez Canal. Some rerouted supplies through the Cape of Good Hope, adding weeks to their trips.
The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) falsely claimed on social media last week that the Panama Canal cost U.S. taxpayers $15.7 billion. In fact, higher costs are borne by ships passing through the waterway in the form of tolls. The U.S. government does not subsidize the canal.
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The Panama Canal gate locks will open to shipping traffic in December 2023. Drought conditions have limited the number of ships that can pass through the canal per day, further increasing price pressure on shipping companies. (Danuta Hamlin)
Panamanian authorities stress that the prices are not the result of “unfair” treatment or capitulation to the influence of China or other nation-states.
“This canal is not under direct or indirect control by China, the European Union, the United States or any other power,” Mulino said in a statement. “As a Panamanian, I reject any representation that misrepresents this reality.”
Still, President Trump does not appear to be backing away from his push for expansion.
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“The Panama Canal is considered a vital national asset for the United States because of its critical role in our economy and national security,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social on Sunday. “A secure Panama Canal is critical to U.S. commerce and the rapid deployment of our naval forces from the Atlantic to the Pacific, greatly reducing transit times to U.S. ports.”
“We’re not going to support that,” he said. “So, Panamanian authorities, please guide us in that direction.”
Brianne Depiche is a political reporter for FOX News Digital, covering the 2024 election and other national news.
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