CNN
—

President-elect Donald Trump is apparently considering a U.S. territorial expansion that, if he is serious, would rival the Louisiana Purchase or the deal that separated Alaska from Russia.

Last week he mocked Canadian officials by suggesting the U.S. could absorb its northern neighbor and make it the 51st nation. He threatened to take over the Panama Canal, the U.S.-built waterway that was controlled by its Central American namesake for a quarter century. And on Sunday he expressed his original desire to acquire Greenland, a Danish territory he had long had his eye on.

With Trump, the differences between serious policy proposals and rhetorical flourishes designed to attract media attention or bolster his base are not always clear. At other times, his provocations seemed to be the opening salvos of his attempts to do business.

When Trump made his threat to retake the Panama Canal this weekend, he actually did so with a pretext the country was using to avoid his wrath: lower fees for American ships using the passage to travel between the Pacific and the Atlantic.

“So to the officials of Panama, please be guided accordingly,” he warned during his speech to conservative activists in Arizona on Sunday.

Still, the proposals are strikingly similar in their focus on expanding the United States’ presence abroad. And for someone who argued during the campaign that the U.S. should withdraw from foreign intervention, the ideas carry modern echoes of the 19th-century doctrine of Manifest Destiny — a belief in the divine right of the United States over all Continent to expand.

Trump on Sunday evening called possession of Greenland an “absolute necessity” for “national security and freedom purposes around the world.” His proposal to seize the Panama Canal – which he called a “vital national asset” even though America hasn’t controlled it for decades – reflected a similar nationalist agenda that Trump often calls “America First.”

In his speech this weekend in Arizona, Trump also reiterated plans to designate drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, a distinction that could precede the use of military force on Mexican soil. Trump has threatened to drop bombs on fentanyl labs and send in special forces to take out cartel leaders, a move that could violate Mexico’s sovereignty and disrupt relations with the United States’ largest trading partner.

Trump’s transition team declined to clarify whether these recent statements reflect real ambitions or other motivations, instead referring CNN to his recent comments and social media posts.

Several people close to and involved in Trump’s transition were unable to pinpoint the origin of his sudden interest in ongoing activities at the Panama Canal, a topic he did not address on the campaign trail. But one adviser noted that Trump regularly highlights concerns brought to his attention by everyone from longtime friends to new acquaintances when prompted. Since his election victory last month, Trump has spent most days entertaining close allies, business leaders, donors and heads of state at his Palm Beach estate.

Another adviser said concerns about the treatment of U.S. companies in Panama likely resonated with Trump because “trade is his top priority.” Pressure on Panama to reduce fees on ships using the canal could also help offset an expected increase in product costs resulting from tariffs Trump plans to impose on foreign goods.

“I always take him seriously, even if they may sound a little far-fetched,” Republican Rep. Carlos Gimenez of Florida said of Trump’s comments on Fox Business on Monday. “It’s a legitimate threat to Panama.”

Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino released a lengthy statement on social media in Spanish and English, declaring that ownership of the port was “non-negotiable.” Built in the early 20th century, the canal was operated by the United States until it was fully handed over to Panama in 1999 as part of a treaty signed by President Jimmy Carter two decades earlier that guaranteed permanent U.S. use of the canal.

“I want to make it clear that every square meter of the Panama Canal and its adjacent territory belongs and will continue to belong to Panama,” Mulino wrote.

But the response did little to discourage Trump and his allies, who responded with memes and images on social media reiterating his latest cause.

“Welcome to the Canal of the United States,” Trump posted on Truth Social, along with a picture of a U.S. flag flying on the waterway.

Mulino scoffed at Trump’s criticism that Panama is unable to ensure the canal’s operations in an interview with CNN en Espanol contributor Andres Oppenheimer that will air this Sunday. “This is an expression of gross ignorance of history. On December 31, the canal will celebrate 25 years of Panamanian ownership and administration,” he said, highlighting the work Panama has done since the U.S. handover, including an expansion project that he said ” leaves behind several million dollars.” Gains for our economy.”

Trump’s offer to buy Greenland from Denmark, first made in his first term, was also rejected.

The autonomous Danish territory’s prime minister, Mute Egede, said in a Facebook post on Monday: “Greenland is ours” and “we are not for sale and never will be.”

The office of Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who called Trump’s first-term suggestion that Greenland could be bought “absurd,” echoed Egede’s opinion.

“The administration looks forward to working with the new (Trump) administration. “In a complex security policy situation like the one we are currently experiencing, transatlantic cooperation is crucial,” it said in a statement on Monday. “The Prime Minister’s Office has no comments on the statements on Greenland other than a reference to the Greenland Prime Minister’s statement that Greenland is not for sale but is open to cooperation,” the statement continued.

Trump first discussed the idea privately and confirmed it publicly in 2019, but ultimately downplayed his interest.

“Strategically it’s interesting and we would be interested, but we’ll talk to them a little bit,” he said at the time. “It’s not number one on the burner, I can tell you that.”

However, he resurfaced the idea in a press release on Sunday, announcing PayPay co-founder Ken Howery as his choice as ambassador to Denmark.

Trump’s proposal to annex Canada seems far less serious and is more of a public mockery of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau after the two recently had dinner at Mar-a-Lago. However, the president-elect has continued to tout the idea on social media.

“I think it’s a great idea,” he wrote in a recent post.

The episode follows another Trump provocation involving the imposition of 25% tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico, illustrating his approach to negotiations with foreign leaders.

In many ways, this move had the intended result: leaders of both countries immediately sought an audience with Trump to reaffirm their commitment to supporting the US on border issues. And it offered Trump an early opportunity to claim victory over a foreign target.

“President Trump is securing the border,” his transition team wrote in a recent press release, “and he hasn’t even taken office yet.”