I did an interview with Times Radio in London earlier this week and all interest was focused on President-elect Donald Trump’s rhetoric on Canada, Greenland and Panama.
It would be of real and relevant interest to find out how many people in those three countries would like to be a part of the United States of America in some way. I suspect the collective number would be in the millions — surely some polling organization wants to take on that assignment.
As if to encourage them to get cracking, Trump posted multiple times on the subject earlier this week. With regard to Greenland, Trump posted on Truth Social: “Don Jr. and my Reps landing in Greenland. The reception has been great. They, and the Free World, need safety, security, strength, and PEACE! This is a deal that must happen. MAGA. MAKE GREENLAND GREAT AGAIN!”
With regard to Canada — now our potential “51st state” — Trump posted two images of North American maps. Both images depicted North America as the expanded United States. No more Canada!
While Trump is clearly having a bit of fun with the whole subject, as with a number of his past moves or policy wishes, there is real genius and logic behind much of the thinking.
Take Greenland and Panama. With both of those countries, there are multiple national and economic security issues and interests that directly affect the U.S. During his press conference from Mar-a-Lago earlier this week, Trump said, “We need Greenland for national security purposes. We have approximately 45,000 people there … if you look outside, you have China ships all over the place. Russian ships all over the place. We’re not letting that happen. Denmark wants to get to a conclusion, but nobody knows if they have any right title or interest. The people are probably going to vote for independence or come into the United States.”
Is the “stable genius” businessman Trump once again on to something? Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) believes so. He said while on Fox News to discuss the idea of acquiring Greenland, “I would never support taking it by force, but I do think it’s a responsible conversation to have … remember the Louisiana Purchase? I think Alaska was a great deal too.”
Tens of millions of Americans and people around the world support Trump for a multitude of reasons. One of the main reasons is his real-world business experience. Too many of our presidents have been professional politicians with little or no understanding of the business world. Trump has consistently proven that experience, talent and the instinct to act on them matters.
As someone who single-handedly created a global business empire, Trump has regularly thought outside the box and asked the questions that seem to have eluded others. Sometimes — as explained in his iconic business book, “The Art of the Deal” — the question is as simple as: “Well, what if we just bought it?”
Trump and his eye for successful business deals are now trained on countries instead of buildings and hotels. When he looks at certain troubled countries, he seemingly asks himself, “Well, what if we just bought it and made it part of the U.S.?”
Often in the business world, the most brilliant strategies turn out to be the most straightforward. To Fetterman’s point, Trump truly does seem to be on to something here.
That realization in turn raises a question: What other countries should be on Trump’s shopping list? If not to actually acquire or fold in, then at least for situational awareness?
The question is obviously somewhat tongue-in-cheek, but there is a very serious component here. Going back to nations that have direct national and economic security implications for America, what about Cuba? That communist nation is quickly falling apart, but its close proximity to the U.S., combined with the access it offers our adversaries as a staging area against us, still qualify it as a clear and present danger.
Leaving aside the corrupt and failed leadership of that country, again, if we were allowed to poll the actual people of Cuba, I am willing to bet that a massive number would want their island nation to become part of the U.S. right away.
Adding to the list of “what ifs,” what about the Bahamas, Haiti, Taiwan or even North Korea? Trump being Trump means seeing the world through his eyes.
What is he seeing that we are missing? Before your next cruise across the “Gulf of America,” it may be a question well worth pondering.
Douglas MacKinnon is a former White House and Pentagon official.
