# American expansionism under Donald Trump

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Donald Trump, the current president of the United States since 2025, has proposed various plans and ideas in the lead-up to and since his second inauguration that would expand the United States' political influence and territory. In his second inauguration speech, Trump directly referenced the potential territorial expansion of the United States and became the first president to use the phrase manifest destiny during an inaugural address. The last territory acquired by the United States came in 1947 with the acquisition of the Northern Mariana Islands, Caroline, and Marshall Islands. Of these islands, only the Northern Mariana Islands would become a U.S. territory, with the others becoming independent in the 1980s and 1990s under Compacts of Free Association.
Since being elected to a second term, Trump has said at various points that he wants to annex Canada, Greenland, and the Panama Canal. He has also suggested invading Venezuela, annexing Mexico and taking over the Gaza Strip. Trump's determination to treat the Western Hemisphere as a U.S. sphere of influence has been characterized as a revival of the Monroe Doctrine.
According to a February 2025 poll by YouGov, only 4% of Americans support American expansion if it requires military force, 33% of Americans support expansion without the use of military or economic force, and 48% of Americans oppose expansion all together.

## Canada

Trump has stated intentions to impose a 25% tariff on all goods from Canada in an effort for the Canadian government to stop what in his view is an illegal migration crisis and drug crisis on the Canada–United States border. Canadian officials have responded by threatening the United States with retaliatory tariffs and a shutdown of the flow of Canadian energy into the Northern United States. This has led to Trump taunting Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau with joke offers for Canada to join the Union, referring to him as the "Governor of the Great State of Canada". During the Super Bowl LIX pre-game show, Trump reaffirmed his intention of annexing Canada and turning it into the 51st state.

## Greenland
### Proposed acquisition

In December 2024, Trump stated a further proposal for the United States to purchase Greenland from Denmark, describing ownership and control of the island as "an absolute necessity" for national security purposes. This builds upon a prior offer from Trump to buy Greenland during his first term, which the Danish Realm refused, causing him to cancel his August 2019 visit to Denmark. On January 7, 2025, Trump's son Donald Trump Jr. visited Greenland's capital city Nuuk alongside Charlie Kirk to hand out MAGA hats. At a press conference the following day, Trump refused to rule out military or economic force order to take over Greenland or the Panama Canal. However, he did rule out military force in taking over Canada. On January 12, then-Vice President-elect JD Vance repeatedly stated that controlling Greenland is critical for U.S. national security and said there's "a deal to be made in Greenland". Asked on 14 January by Senator Mazie Hirono about the potential use of military force to integrate Greenland into the United States, Pete Hegseth stated he would not provide details in a public forum. On January 14, the Trump-affiliated Nelk Boys also visited Nuuk, handing out dollar bills to locals.
On January 16, the CEOs of major Danish companies Novo Nordisk, Vestas and Carlsberg among others were assembled for a crisis meeting in the Ministry of State to discuss the situation. On the subsequent day, former chief executive Friis Arne Petersen in the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs described the situation as "historically unheard of", while Noa Redington, special adviser to former prime minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt, compared the international pressure on Denmark that during the 2005 Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy. Political commentator Henrik Qvortrup stated on the 17th that a mention of Greenland during Trump's inaugural address on January 20 would confirm Trump's seriousness, making the situation one of Denmark’s largest international crises since World War II.
On 6 February 2025, a poll conducted by USA Today between 7 January 2025 and 10 January 2025 was released which showed that only 11% of Americans said that Trump should purchase or annex Greenland. 29% of Americans said that they thought that acquiring Greenland was a good but unrealistic idea, and 53% of Americans said that they don't support the idea of annexing Greenland.

#### Make Greenland Great Again Act

On 13 January 2025, legislation was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Rep. Andy Ogles to authorize the United States Government to acquire Greenland on behalf of the U.S., granting to Congress a 60-day review period prior to integration of Greenlandic territory into the United States. As of the date of introduction, the bill had 12 co-sponsors and had been referred to the United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs for review.
On 26 January 2025, former Minister for Greenland Tom Høyem stated that the 1917 agreement with the United Kingdom still stood, giving them the right of first refusal in the event of any sale of the islands.

#### Red, White, and Blueland Act of 2025

On 10 February 2025, Republican representative Buddy Carter introduced a legislation which would rename Greenland to "Red, White, and Blueland" and allow US President Donald Trump to "purchase or otherwise acquire" Greenland. Carter further stated, "When our Negotiator-in-Chief signs this historic agreement, we will proudly welcome the people of what is now Greenland to join the freest nation in history. President Trump has rightly identified this purchase as a national security priority." The legislation gives the office of the Secretary of the Interior six months after its passage to ensure that federal documents are updated to reflect the name change.

## Holy See

In February 2025, amid a health crisis involving Pope Francis, it was reported that, according to Vatican politics observers, the White House was looking for someone "less confrontational" and would have no trouble influencing a possible conclave.

## Mexico

Trump has alleged that the United States is subsidizing Mexico and that this suggests that Mexico should become a state. In an interview with NBC, Trump said, "We're subsidizing Mexico for almost $300 billion. We shouldn't be — why are we subsidizing these countries? If we’re going to subsidize them, let them become a state."
Trump also proposed renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the "Gulf of America". Trump first proposed the idea in a news conference, and he mentioned it in his inaugural address. Upon taking office on January 20, Trump signed an executive order renaming the portion of the gulf from the U.S. shoreline to "the seaward boundary with Mexico and Cuba" as the "Gulf of America" in federal usage.

## Palestine
### Gaza Strip

Trump has proposed resettling Palestinians in the Gaza Strip elsewhere in places like neighboring Egypt and Jordan, with the United States taking it over and rebuilding it, following the Gaza war. Trump described ambitions to make Gaza "the Riviera of the Middle East," in which "the world's people" would live.
On 21 February 2025, after opposition from Arab states, Trump said he would "recommend" but not enforce his plan for the US takeover of Gaza and the resettlement of the Palestinian population.
On 26 February 2025, Trump posted an AI video on Truth Social. The video opens on war-torn images of Gaza before transitioning to videos of a beachfront resort, including shots of Musk eating and dancing, bearded belly dancers performing and Trump and Netanyahu—both shirtless—drinking poolside. The creators of the video said they did not know how Trump obtained the video and criticized Trump for posting the video without credit or permission, adding that they did not support Trump’s "propaganda machine."

## Panama
### Panama Canal Zone

In 2024, Trump demanded that Panama return control of the Panama Canal to the United States due to 'excessive rates' being charged for American passage. If the United States were to take control of the Panama Canal, it would mark the first time the United States controlled Panamanian territory since the 1989 United States invasion of Panama.
On 7 January 2025, Trump stated that he had not ruled out the use of military to take control of the Panama Canal. The next day on 8 January 2025, Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh declined to answer a reporter's question regarding the potential use of military force to annex the Panama Canal. On 14 January 2025, presumptive nominee for the United States Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth declined to answer a question by Senator Mazie Hirono about the potential use of military force take the Panama Canal and Greenland and if he would comply with an order to do so.
In his first official trip abroad, Secretary of State Marco Rubio will travel to Panama to push to reclaim the Panama Canal for the United States.
On 28 January 2025, the United States Senate held a hearing on the Panama Canal. During the hearing, a bipartisan group of senators claimed China maintains influence over the Panama Canal, with Democratic Senator Maria Cantwell saying: "I am concerned about the Chinese-owned ports in Panama and their proximity to the Canal." The Hong Kong-based company manages two of the canal's five ports, and Chinese President Xi Jinping integrated the canal into his Belt and Road Initiative.
On 2 February 2025, US President Donald Trump told reporters that he "vowed" to "take back" the Panama Canal and warned of a "powerful US action" saying, "China is running the Panama Canal that was not given to China, that was given to Panama foolishly, but they violated the agreement, and we’re going to take it back, or something very powerful is going to happen".
On 5 March 2025, the American investment company BlackRock announced that a consortium, including also Global Infrastructure Partners and Terminal Investment Limited, would buy CK Hutchison's 80% holding in Hutchison Port Holdings, which owns ports at either end of the canal. According to the New York Times, the Hong Kong-based Li family felt "under political pressure to exit the ports business"; discussions with BlackRock about the Panama Canal had begun only a few weeks prior, coinciding with the beginning of the Trump administration.
Trump told Congress in March 2025 that his "administration will be reclaiming the Panama Canal." Also that month, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth instructed the Trump administration to "immediately" present "credible military options to ensure fair and unfettered US military and commercial access to the Panama Canal".

#### Panama Canal Repurchase Act

On 9 January 2025, legislation was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Rep. Dusty Johnson to authorize the United States Government to acquire the Panama canal zone on behalf of the U.S. As of the date of introduction, the bill had 16 co-sponsors and had been referred to the United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs for review.

## Venezuela

While campaigning in North Carolina in June 2023, Trump told reporters, "When I left, Venezuela was ready to collapse. We would have taken it over, we would have gotten all that oil." Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that "all options should remain on the table" to remove Maduro from power and restore democracy in Venezuela. Axios reported that President Donald Trump and his team wanted a regime change in Venezuela to go in a similar fashion to the fall of the Assad regime Puerto Rican governor Jenniffer González-Colón said in a letter to US President Donald Trump that Maduro "is an open threat to the United States, our national security and stability in the region".

## International reactions

Numerous politicians outside of the United States have criticised Donald Trump's annexation comments. Many have also compared Trump's comments about Canada, Greenland and Panama to Russian President Vladimir Putin's comments about Ukraine and Chinese President Xi Jinping's comments about Taiwan.

### Canadian reaction

Donald Trump's proposals have been received negatively in Canada, with it being condemned by all major political parties and leaders as well as causing an increasing strain on Canada–United States relations. Polling conducted on Trump's proposals have received extremely little support among Canadians to the proposal of Canada becoming the 51st State with an Angus Reid poll showing that 90% of Canadians are against being annexed by the United States. Polls also showed a sharp rise in Canadian nationalism among Quebecers.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau responded to Trump saying that there's "not a snowball's chance in hell" that Canada would be annexed by the United States. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre stated that Canada would never become the 51st state of America. On 7 February 2025, Poilievre further stated that Trump's 51st state comments are not a joke saying: "I’ve always taken it seriously, and I’ve always clearly and consistently condemned it. Canada will never be the 51st state. We will be a strong, independent, sovereign country when I’m prime minister."

### Danish and Greenlandic reactions

The Danish government has repeatedly stated that "Greenland is not for sale". In a poll published by Berlingske and Sermitsiaq, 85% of Greenlanders have stated that they are against being annexed by the United States. The poll also showed that 45% of Greenlanders view Trump as a threat while 43% view Trump as an "opportunity" and 13% are undecided. Trump's interest in Greenland has bolstered the cause of the Greenlandic independence from Denmark.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said that "Europe must stand together" against Trump. During a press conference on 21 January 2025, Greenlandic Prime Minister Múte Bourup Egede stated, "We are Greenlanders. We don’t want to be Americans. We don’t want to be Danish either. Greenland’s future will be decided by Greenland". Kristian Søby Kristensen, a defense researcher from the University of Copenhagen said that Denmark could not defend Greenland from America on its own and that the Danish Armed Forces are neither equipped nor trained to stop an American invasion from happening. Furthermore, Kristensen stated that Denmark's military stocks have been significantly depleted by arms transfers to Ukraine. On 2 February 2025, during an EU meeting in Brussels, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen told reporters "I will never support the idea of fighting allies. But of course, if the U.S. puts tough terms on Europe, we need a collective and robust response." On 4 February 2025, Greenland introduced a bill which would ban "foreign political donations". The bill, which is planned to be passed in a week, is viewed as a way to safeguard the 2025 Greenlandic general election which will be held on 6 April 2025.

#### Third-party reactions

Most European politicians have voiced their support for Denmark. French foreign minister Jean-Noël Barrot said that if Denmark were to request "solidarity" from EU countries, "France will be there." He also stated that France would not tolerate American military intervention. France also debated with Denmark about the possibility of the deployment of French troops to Greenland. On 4 February 2025, NATO secretary general Mark Rutte sat down with EU leaders for lunch and suggested the deployment of NATO soldiers to Greenland in order to "defang the threat from the U.S. president".
During a meeting with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz stated that, "Borders must not be moved by force. To whom it may concern."
Russian press secretary Dmitry Peskov said, "We are watching very closely this rather dramatic development of the situation, so far, thank God, at the level of statements."

#### Danish counter-proposal to purchase California

In response to Trump's statements during his second term, Danish residents issued a satirical petition for Denmark to purchase California from the United States for $1 trillion. The petition parodied Trump's rhetoric as president, bearing the slogan "Måke Califørnia Great Ægain" and vowing to "bring hygge to Hollywood, bike lanes to Beverly Hills and organic smørrebrød to every street corner." It also stated that California's name would be changed to "New Denmark". The petition surpassed 200,000 signatures in less than 12 hours.

### Mexican reaction

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum responded to Trump's annexation suggestion by saying, "Mexico is a free, sovereign, and independent country, and we will always defend that."
Sheinbaum responded to Trump renaming the gulf by saying that Google Maps should present the map of América Mexicana over the United States. She also explained that territorial waters only extend up to 12 nautical miles, and that the renaming could not apply to the entire gulf.

### Venezuelan reaction

On 13 January 2025, Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro called for a military campaign to "liberate" Puerto Rico with the aid of Brazilian, Cuban, and Nicaraguan troops. Maduro said in a speech during a rally, "Just as in the north they have an agenda of colonization, we have an agenda of liberation. And the agenda was written for us by Simon Bolivar, the freedom of Puerto Rico is pending and we will achieve it, with the troops of Brazil. We are preparing together with Cuba and Nicaragua and together with our older brothers in the world so that if one day we have to take up arms and defend the right to peace and sovereignty, we will fight in the armed struggle and win it again. We are not lukewarm leaders, we are the Bolivarian revolution of the 21st century. If it is by fair means, we will advance by fair means. If it is by foul means, we will also defeat them so that they respect us".

### Panamanian reaction

Panamanians say the Panama Canal is part of their national identity. Paula Rodriguez, a cafe owner told the Guardian, "Panamanian people – we rise, you know, we defend and we unite, after all, to defend our country and our people. Because it’s not about the canal, it’s about our integrity. If you can see in the social media, people are angry, angry, and writing: ‘No way – this is not gonna happen again." Numerous anti-American protests have taken place across Panama since 24 December 2024. On 28 January 2025, a coalition of civil society groups released a joint statement which condemned "any foreign political intervention". Political scientist Osvaldo Jordán told CNN on 21 February 2024 that Panama was "already in a situation of instability... then President Trump jumps onto the scene."
Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino rejected Trump's claims about "retaking" the Panama Canal. He further stated, "Every square meter of the Panama Canal and its adjacent area belong to Panama and will continue to be. The sovereignty and independence of our country are not negotiable." Saúl Méndez of SUNTRACS said in an interview, "Trump tries to erase with a single whim, what was conquered here with the life of patriots, but today more than ever the defense of sovereignty is intact in the Panamanian people." Panama's UN Ambassador Eloy Alfaro de Alba stated that the United States should refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state. Panama City mayor Mayer Mizrachi posted on his X account that Panama would never become the 51st state. Former Panamanian President Ernesto Pérez Balladares said that if the US were to invade there would be "many, many casualties on our side, and international condemnation of the U.S."
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian condemned the United States' "irresponsible remarks on the Panama canal issue, and intentionally distorted, attacked and mischaracterized relevant cooperation".

## Democratic Party reaction
### No Invading Allies Act

On 6 March 2025, Democratic representative Seth Magaziner introduced a legislation which would prevent President Donald Trump from going to war with Canada, Greenland, or Panama without a vote from Congress. The bill would also prevent the United States Armed Forces from using federal funds in an invasion of Canada, Greenland or Panama without the aproval of congress.