President-elect Donald Trump has hinted at a vision for American territorial expansion that, if pursued, could rival historic acquisitions like the Louisiana Purchase or the purchase of Alaska from Russia.
Over the past week, Trump has made provocative statements, suggesting the U.S. could annex Canada as its 51st state, reclaim control of the Panama Canal, which has been under Panamanian authority for 25 years, and renew his earlier push to acquire Greenland, a Danish territory he has previously expressed interest in.
Trump's remarks blur the line between serious policy ambitions and rhetoric designed to capture attention or energize his supporters. At times, such declarations have served as initial gambits in his broader strategy of dealmaking.
When Trump issued his threat to reclaim the Panama Canal over the weekend, he coupled it with a potential reprieve for the Central American nation: a demand to reduce fees for American ships using the critical waterway to transit between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.
The proposals stand out for their shared focus on extending the United States' presence beyond its current borders. For a leader who campaigned on reducing foreign intervention, these ideas evoke a modern parallel to the 19th-century doctrine of Manifest Destiny—the belief in America's divine right to expand its territory across the continent.
Speaking in Arizona this weekend, Trump also reiterated plans to designate drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, a distinction that could preface the use of military force on Mexican soil. Trump has threatened to drop bombs on fentanyl labs and send special forces to take out cartel leaders, an incursion that could violate Mexico's sovereignty and disrupt relations with the United States' largest trading partner.
Trump's transition team declined to clarify whether these latest statements reflect genuine ambitions or other motivations, instead pointing CNN back to his recent comments and social media posts.
Several people close to and within Trump's transition could not pinpoint the origins of his sudden interest in the ongoing activities at the Panama Canal, a topic that he didn't raise on the campaign trail. One adviser, though, noted that Trump regularly elevates causes brought to his attention by people ranging from longtime friends to new acquaintances if it animates him. Since winning the election last month, Trump has spent most days entertaining close allies, business titans, donors and heads of state at his Palm Beach estate.
