Donald Trump hinted at the possibility of using military action to seize control of the Panama Canal and Greenland, while also proposing a bold plan to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the "Gulf of America." The 78-year-old president-elect shared his vision for global affairs during a wide-ranging press conference at Mar-a-Lago on Tuesday morning.
Trump, at the press conference, criticized Canada, and took sharp jabs at President Joe Biden's climate policies as he vowed to change the policies once he resumes power. Trump also took aim at his longtime adversary, Special Counsel Jack Smith, labeling him a "nutjob" and insisting that all criminal cases against him be dismissed.
Trump Goes All Out
"He will execute everybody," he raged before taking questions from the press. With just 13 days left until his inauguration, Trump announced that the United States was on the brink of a "golden age" and would "take off like a rocketship" once he returned to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
He slammed efforts to limit gas heaters, claiming electric heaters are uncomfortable and "itch," and reiterated his belief that wind turbines are harming whale populations.
During a notable exchange, a reporter asked Trump if he could guarantee he wouldn't use "military or economic coercion" to seize control of the Panama Canal or Greenland. The question came as Trump has intensified rhetoric about taking over both territories in anticipation of his second term.
In response, Trump said: "No, I can't assure you on either of those two."
"Look, the Panama canal is vital to our country. It's being operated by China. And we gave the Panama canal to Panama," he added.
"We didn't give it to China and they've abused it. They've abused that gift. It should never have been made, by the way! It (the Panama Canal deal) should have never been made, by the way. Giving the Panama Canal is why Jimmy Carter lost the election, in my opinion. More so maybe than the hostages."
Slamming Biden Administration
Trump was alluding to the Iran hostage crisis, during which 53 U.S. diplomats were held captive at the American embassy in Tehran from 1979 to 1981.
"The hostages were a big deal, But if you remember, and nobody wants to talk about the Panama Canal now because you know, it's inappropriate, I guess, because it's a bad part of the Carter legacy.
"But he was a good man. Look, he was a good man, I knew him a little bit and he was a very fine person. But that was a big mistake.
"Giving the Panama Canal to Panama was a very big mistake. We lost 38,000 people, it cost us the equivalent of $1 trillion, maybe more than that, probably the most expensive, they say it was the most expensive structure, if we call it a structure, which I guess you can, ever built. And giving that away was a horrible thing."
Trump later claimed that Greenland is essential to U.S. national security and questioned Denmark's legal claims or "stake" in the territory.
His comments coincided with a visit by his son, Donald Trump Jr., who traveled to Greenland to create social media content. The former president also warned that Denmark could face significant economic tariffs if it insisted on retaining control of Greenland.
"We are going be changing — the opposite of Biden closing everything up and getting rid of 50 to 60 trillion worth of assets — we'll be changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the gulf of America, which has a beautiful ring," he said.
