Some of Trump’s recent statements have been called into question as he takes office. For one, he stated he would “not commit” to ruling out military force in regards to control of both Greenland, currently an autonomous territory of Denmark, and the Panama Canal. As part of the deal for construction of the Panama Canal, the United States controlled the territory known as the Panama Canal Zone until its return in 1979, and ceded complete control of the canal to Panama in 1999.
Trump’s interest in taking back control of the canal, through military force or other means, is based in economics – controlling the canal can lead to revenue in the form of tolls to use it. As for Greenland, Trump states it is needed for “national security purposes,” though the U.S. already has a large, unthreatened military base there.
Another claim Trump has floated ahead of his presidency is the idea that Canada should join the U.S. as a 51st state, though in contrast to the situation regarding Greenland/Panama, Trump stated he would not use military force to invade. Trump has also stated his interest in renaming the Gulf of Mexico, the area of water stretching just south of the states and between Florida and Mexico, to the “Gulf of America.”
While many of these ideas seem improbable, we will see how they play out as the future of our country is decided by President Trump, who has a flare for trying to accomplish “impossible” tasks. With January 20th marking his inauguration, he has started off his second term in office with a slurry of executive orders in an attempt to make the many changes he has been promising to his supporters. In one day alone, Trump signed more than 20 executive orders. These orders covered a wide range of different areas including border security, the economy, climate change, LGBTQ rights, and many other categories.
Some of these changes are seen as controversial and many are left questioning whether allowing the president to have so much power is a good thing. We are left with at least one certainty though, it is clear that Trump is not afraid to make drastic changes.
