The team of the President-elect of the United States Donald Trump explained his statements regarding claims to Greenland, the Panama Canal and Canada, which he proposed to make the 51st state.
According to The Washington Post, the press secretary of the Trump transition period Anna Kelly explained that his recent statements about Greenland and Canada are part of a larger strategy.
Trump's threats to Canada, Greenland and the Panama Canal
— World leaders are gathering at the negotiating table because President Trump is already delivering on his promise to Make America Strong Again. When he officially takes office, foreign countries will think twice about stealing from our country, America will be respected again, and the world will be safer, said Anna Kelly.
The common thread that unites Trump’s comments about Canada, Greenland, and Panama, she said, is a shared opposition to Russia and China. Trump himself has not made that argument publicly.
Now Watching
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said there is a “consistent thread” behind it all. He added that Trump knows which levers to pull and what the safety catches are. Trump “has the power to use those levers,” the source said.
But not everyone in the Republican ranks thinks so. Former Congressman Carlos Curbelo of Florida told MSNBC this week that Trump’s messaging could “worsen” relations between the United States and other countries, which could make it harder to build international alliances in the future.
What Came Before
In early December, Trump proposed to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that his country become the 51st U.S. state. He also offered Trudeau the chance to become its governor if he failed to resolve the migrant and trade issues.
He subsequently accused Panama of imposing “exorbitant tolls” for the use of the Panama Canal. He also threatened to return it to the United States if the Panamanian government did not change anything. The Panamanian president responded by saying that Panama's sovereignty and independence were non-negotiable.
He then said that the United States must establish control over Greenland “in order to ensure national security and freedom”.
