The president has said that the territory of the United State could increase in the future
The US could acquire new territories in the future, President Donald Trump has told a crowd of his supporters.
In recent weeks, Trump has expressed ambitions to expand US territory and showed interest in annexing Greenland, Canada, and the Panama Canal.
“We might be an enlarged country pretty soon,” Trump said during a speech in Las Vegas on Saturday.
“For years, for decades, we were the same size to the square foot… probably got smaller, actually,” he said, adding that this could change “soon.”
In a recent phone conversation with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Trump was “very firm” in pushing for Denmark to relinquish the control of Greenland, leaving the Danes “utterly freaked out,” the Financial Times reported on Friday, citing European officials briefed on the matter.
Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark, was granted home rule in 1979. The Arctic island is home to approximately 60,000 people and hosts the US Pituffik base.
Greenland’s pro-independence leaders and Danish officials have been firm in rejecting Trump’s offer to buy Greenland. While Frederiksen has reportedly offered to expand US military presence on the island and deepen cooperation on mineral exploitation, Trump had been aggressive and confrontational during the phone call, according to FT.
Trump initially floated the idea of purchasing Greenland during his first time in office in 2019, but was met with rejection from both the island’s and Danish officials. Last month, he said “ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity” for US national security.
In addition to Greenland, Trump has mentioned regaining the ownership of the Panama Canal, which was under US management until 1999. He cited concerns about China’s growing influence over the vital trade route. Panamanian President Jose Mulino has promised to resist a potential takeover and denied that the vital waterway has been under any foreign control.
Trump has repeatedly argued that Canada should become the 51st state of the United States, promising tax breaks and other benefits to Canadian citizens if the move were to happen. He has accused Canada of being a bad trade partner and threatened to impose harsh tariffs on Canadian goods.
In early January, Trump refused to rule out the use of military force against Greenland and Panama, claiming the US needs both for “economic security.” Trump added that he would only use “economic force” against Canada.
