Trump won't rule out use of military force to take control of Greenland and the Panama Canal

[LudwigPastorius]

Source: Associated Press

PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday said he would not rule out the use of military force to seize control of the Panama Canal and Greenland, as he declared U.S. control of both to be vital to American national security.

Speaking to reporters less than two weeks before he takes office on Jan. 20 and as a delegation of aides and advisers that includes Donald Trump Jr. is in Greenland, Trump left open the use of the American military to secure both territories. Trump’s intention marks a rejection of decades of U.S. policy that has prioritized self-determination over territorial expansion.

“I’m not going to commit to that,” Trump said, when asked if he would rule out the use of the military. “It might be that you’ll have to do something. The Panama Canal is vital to our country.” He added, “We need Greenland for national security purposes.” Greenland is an autonomous territory of Denmark, a longtime U.S. ally and a founding member of NATO.


Promising a “Golden age of America,” Trump also said he would move to try to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America,” saying that has a “beautiful ring to it.”

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/trump-biden-offshore-drilling-gulf-of-america-fa66f8d072eb39c00a8128a8941ede75

---

He is, by any definition, completely insane.

[Mustellus]

1. And won't it be fun....

... when Denmark invokes article 5 of the NATO treaty, and all of Europe shows up to retake Greenland?

[EX500rider]

25. Yeah even with NATO behind Denmark they don't have the reach to beat the US off our shores

They didn't even have the reach to attack Libya without US tanker & logistic support.
As of 2024, the United Kingdom has two aircraft carriers in service, while France has one, the rest of European Nato has small ships in their Navies.
(of course Trump is a wacko for even saying such things)

[SomewhereInTheMiddle]

38. Couldn't they stage through Canada?

Which, of course, would give Trump the excuse to invade and conquer our northern neighbor.

[EX500rider]

43. They don't have the sealift capacity...

... or an answer to US nuclear attack Subs.

Unfortunately a bunch of small militares added together doesn't have the capacity of one large military and for far too long the Europeans treated their military as a jobs program more than a fighting force

[orangecrush]

49. Something about "illegal orders"

[EX500rider]

52. I wasn't commenting on the legality of such a war, just the likelihood of European NATO winning

[Irish_Dem]

27. NATO will not go up against the US.

They will lose and know it.

[Polybius]

57. They would get annihilated

They know better.

[C_U_L8R]

2. Canada and Greenland should preemptively attack

Come take New England, please. We surrender. It's yours !!

[travelingthrulife]

44. I hope Canada takes the entire west coast.

Except with new leadership they will probably go all fascist as well.

[BoRaGard]

3. "That's how to do it, my soul-sick G.O.P. comrade." - Pooty (R- Despot)

[Scrivener7]

4. Fucking troll. This is to distract us from the report.

[Ray Bruns]

8. Exactly. Nothing but a distraction.

[Lulu KC]

14. I hope so

This is beyond creepy.

[LudwigPastorius]

12. Is he really mentally aware enough to strategize like that?

Or, does he just say whatever random gibberish is sloshing around in his head at the time?

[PortTack]

24. No.... he knows he can't do that so the creepy toddler cries and whines all the more. Rinse and repeat

[Irish_Dem]

28. No he is not capable of these ideas, someone is spoon feeding him.

Musk and Putin.

[Scrivener7]

32. This has always been his MO. For the last 40 years.

Distract from the real issue with a ridiculous headline-grabbing troll.

So yes, as it's his longtime habit, I believe he knows what he's doing.

[Baitball Blogger]

5. Well, this will give the Americans who are going back for a Reunion on the 25th something to talk about.

[claudette]

6. And he says all Liz Cheney wants to do is kill people?

The orange man is bonkers

[Tarzanrock]

7. Just like Poland threatening Nazi Germany in 1939 ...

... Greenland and Panama in 2025 "threatens" the Fuhrer-Turd's Nazi Amerika. Seig Heil, mein Fuhrer-Turd!

[Justice matters.]

9. Hey, magats, there goes your felon's other promise of

"no more wars"

right from the get go.

you've been played (again).

expect more and more walkbacks.

he doesn't need you anymore.

[NEOH]

10. I swear, if dump & his entourage...

I swear, if dump & his entourage aren’t kept in some form check, it’s hello WWIII

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

11. How exactly is this different from Putin attacking Ukraine?

He wasn't kidding when he said he wanted to be a dictator on day one.

The question is, will the Pentagon stand up to him and refuse to violate international law.

[mahina]

19. How better to drag our name through the mud?

[PortTack]

23. It isn't and just like russia it would be violating international law. He's stupid

This repeated BS is because he knows he can’t do it

Think sharpie and hurricanes

[orangecrush]

50. That is indeed the question.

[Pas-de-Calais]

13. Loser

[Ferryboat]

15. Distraction from Fridays sentencing

Muddy the waters. It's all a distraction.

Save the outrage for later.

[mdbl]

16. Nice to know there's a war criminal running the country after Jan 20.

And no one gives a shit.

[JoseBalow]

17. He ain't gonna do shit

Stop feeding the troll

[PortTack]

22. Ding ding ding!

[Blue_Tires]

36. 98 percent of the time you'd be right

But what keeps me up at night is the other two percent that Donnie actually would give the order, sign the document, push a button, etc... And nobody knows for sure when it's one of those times.

What's going to bring my nightmares back is remembering the stories from his first term about his generals covertly playing keep-away with the "nuclear football" whenever Donnie was going through his tantrums and threatening war through motherfucking Twitter... Because we already know no repub is going to talk sense to him and can only keep rolling the dice so many times before we crap out 😖

[travelingthrulife]

45. The people he is installing to cabinet roles are willing to do it though.

[angrychair]

18. Wouldn't that trigger Article 5

Of the NATO treaty? I realize we are a party to the same treaty but I assume if we invade Denmark, which is essentially what we would be doing by invading Greenland, that would trigger a war with NATO itself.
Is an order to invade Greenland even a lawful order? Would the military follow that order?

[LudwigPastorius]

20. I expect Trump to push hard to leave NATO this term.

Putin has probably sold him on the idea of Russia and the U.S. 'acquiring' and carving up the parts of Europe that they each desire.

...and, Trump is stupid enough to think that's a good plan.

[PortTack]

21. It now takes 2/3 of the house and senate to withdraw from NATO....orange turd cannot do it on his own

[Irish_Dem]

26. Threatening Denmark and Panama with the most powerful military in the world.

These are our allies.

[Blue_Tires]

35. That's what bullies do...

Punch down at those most unlikely or unable to retaliate... That's also why he never has a unpleasant thing to say about Russia or Red China 😐

[4catsmom]

29. is he expecting Meal Team 6 to step up and make this happen?

I can't see any military brass getting behind this.

[doc03]

30. As crazy it sounds if he invades Greenland or Panama or Mexico maybe Canada

his poll numbers would go up. it worked for Hitler for a while.

[Blue_Tires]

34. That's what scares me the most

There's literally nothing Donnie could do that his cultists and the rest of the GOP won't go right along with...

[Blue_Roses]

40. Until the draft starts

which I wouldn't put past him

[doc03]

42. The draft is in project 2025. nt

[Blue_Roses]

47. Well, there ya go.

nt

[raccoon]

60. I believe if the draft started again, even many of his supporters would get their heads out of their asses.

When their kids are subject to the draft.

[LivingInASociety]

31. What a stupid time to be alive

I’m tired of living in “interesting times.”

[Blue_Tires]

33. Are you not entertained, America??

This is exactly what you voted for, and now you're going to get it.

[C0RI0LANUS]

37. Hi LudwigPastorius

When the RW media (Fox, websites, radio, etc etc) begin a discourse about the military advantages of the US owning Panama or Greenland ('talking points'), this is Trumpf generating popular support for these military misadventures.

I don't see it happening, but listening to the 'talking points' from these RW maniacs will be a clue as to whether Trumpf is just rambling like Grandpa Simpson or he really means it.

Either way, discord within NATO is what Putin wants and this is what Putin is getting.

[LudwigPastorius]

58. I agree, CORIOLANUS, that FOX Spews can be an indicator of Trump's agenda, and so far, I don't see...

them hyping up a conflict.

Trump's toadies have stated their goal of removing all but the most obsequious in the chain of command. The Felon-in-chief wants his decisions executed swiftly, without pushback. And, I don't think he's particularly concerned about generating public approval before he does anything.

[C0RI0LANUS]

59. Hi LudwigPastorius-- that's good news for now. Let's monitor the Kool-Aid makers and their talking points.

[SomewhereInTheMiddle]

39. Worst case scenario ...

The part of me that always looks at worst case scenarios sees Trump starting a real shooting war, especially with a near neighbor, as a way for him to –

• Secure his power – never change horses mid-stream
• Allow him to declare an emergency to expand his powers.
• Use war powers to suspend habeas corpus
• Start a new state of forever wars that allow him to cancel the elections in 2026 and/or 2028 (not legal but who cares by then)
• Drop out of NATO and other bothersome alliances and gang up with Russia and China in the invade your neighbor club.

There would be lots of opposition to these acts, but we might not be able to stop them and once he has those powers we would be out of constitutional/judicial remedies.

A bleak picture.

I hope it does not happen.

[betsuni]

41. Particularly embarrassing for pro-terrorist (but they're "freedom fighters like Nelson Mandela!!!!!!!!) protesters

who spewed the "Democrats are the REAL warmongers) propaganda (Genocide Joe, Killer Kamala, Obama drones drones drones kill lists) heavily used to defeat Hillary (she'd start WWIII immediately after being inaugurated, progressive Tulsi Gabbard called her "Queen of the Warmongers," Hillary was a war hawk everyone said, more dangerous than Trump -- the quotes and insults are endless).

Why would any of those people be upset with Trump for talking about wars? Republicans are the peaceful, working class party with excellent messaging and policies!

[Attilatheblond]

46. He is everything ugly about America's past, present, and future

rolled up into one ghastly stinking, moldy, hideous skin bag.

[TommieMommy]

48. Spoiled baby brat who wants everything, mine mine mine 😡😡😡

[FarPoint]

51. It works for me....

This action will sink the bastard good. No pain, no gain now.

[tulipsandroses]

53. How about those eggs?

Surely going to war is worth getting cheaper eggs.

[Zorro]

54. Next up

Threatening to invade Cuba because he wants to build some casinos there.

[bob4460]

55. Generals will not follow illegal orders

[LudwigPastorius]

56. I would hope not, but...

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trumps-team-drawing-up-list-pentagon-officers-fire-sources-say-2024-11-13/

one never knows for sure, do one?