Mirna Fahmy
Since Trump’s official win in November, he has been announcing the three biggest expansions regularly along with many chained decisions with Europe.
Alluding to his slogan “putting America first,” the newly elected U.S. president, Donald Trump, has been announcing promises on his social media accounts to expand the US territories and raise the costs of oil exports with Europe once he sets his steps in the White House on January 20, 2025. Trump’s expansion includes Canada, Greenland, and the Panama Canal.
These expansions might be considered transformative and one of a kind in the 21st century after the last two added states, which are Alaska and Hawaii, in 1959 of the last century. It has been historically known that the American states were European colonies unless the U.S. started buying these states from some countries after 13 states declared their independence from the United Kingdom on July 4, 1776.
Trump’s announcements to admit these expansions as states were met with a mix of cheers from supporters celebrating the expansion of the Union and rejections from opponents who voiced concerns over various political and social implications.
Why Canada?
There is always an American saying, “America has Alaska,” which is above Canada, so why not Canada become a U.S. state? In one of the social media posts, Trump referred to Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as “governor,” expressing how pleased he was to have a dinner with him as the governor of the “Great State of Canada.”
Trump further stated on his platforms that Canada should become a 51st US state. Agreeing with the same consent is the CEO of Tesla and X, Elon Musk.
Trudeau, who has resigned on January 6, 2025, after facing significant pressure from within his own Liberal Party, vehemently denied Trump’s call on his X account, saying, “There isn’t a snowball’s chance in hell that Canada would become part of the United States. Workers and communities in both our countries benefit from being each other’s biggest trading and security partner.”
Mocking him down by calling him “girl,” Musk replied to him on X that “you’re not the governor of Canada anymore, so it doesn’t matter what you say.”
Trudeau’s resignation comes in the wake of declining popularity and internal conflicts, particularly following the unexpected resignation of Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland in December 2024, who cited Trudeau’s failure to adequately address challenges posed by the incoming U.S. administration regarding tariffs as a key reason for her departure.
The tariff issue between the U.S. and Canada has recently intensified, particularly with President-elect Donald Trump’s announcement of plans to impose a 25% tariff on all imports from Canada unless the country takes steps to control the flow of illegal drugs, especially fentanyl, and illegal immigration. This proposal has raised significant concerns about a potential trade war between the two nations.
Experts predict that such tariffs could severely damage the Canadian economy, potentially leading to a recession by 2025. The tariffs would likely result in a 2-4% reduction in Canada’s GDP, significant job losses, and increased inflation rates.
In the last ten years, Canadians have been complaining on social media about how expensive life has become in Canada, including food, accommodation, and how hospitals are dysfunctional. Real GDP per capita has faced downward pressure due to rapid population growth (around 3.2% in 2023) outpacing economic output, according to Statistics Canada. As of late 2023, it was reported that real GDP per capita was about 2.5% below pre-pandemic levels. In 2024, the average housing price was approximately $539,000, while in the U.S. it was $412,000. The food prices in Canada in 2024 were 10.8% higher than in the U.S.
Canadian officials, including finance minister Dominic LeBlanc, have expressed concern that Trump’s remarks are no longer light-hearted jokes but rather serious assertions that could undermine U.S.-Canada relations. They argue that such rhetoric creates confusion and could have negative implications for trade and diplomacy between the two nations.
As the parliament elections in Canada are set to be prorogued until March 24, 2025, it has been expected by opinion polls and Polymarket traders that Canadian Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre might be the next prime minister following Trudeau.
Trump has told reporters in one of his conferences that he will use economic pressure on Canada to give up and become part of the US forcefully. Poilievre has affirmed on his X account that “Canada will never be a 51st U.S. state.” The might-be future PM has reminisced about how Canada has been a strong ally and friend to the U.S., supplying billions of dollars and hundreds of lives, helping Americans retaliate against Al-Qaeda’s 9/11 attacks. Poilievre promises that when he becomes PM, he will put “Canada First” and rebuild the military and take back control of the border to secure both Canada and the U.S.
Why Greenland?
Trump first expressed interest in purchasing Greenland during his presidency in 2019. He made headlines when he suggested that the U.S. should buy the territory, which is an autonomous region of Denmark, citing its strategic importance and natural resources. This idea was met with strong opposition from Denmark, leading to a diplomatic spat.
In recent months, Trump has reignited this interest, particularly during his campaign leading up to the 2024 elections. He reiterated his desire to acquire Greenland on social media platforms, framing it as a beneficial move for both the U.S. and Greenland. His son, Donald Trump Jr., also visited Greenland recently, further highlighting the family’s ongoing interest in the territory.
As of January 2025, House Republicans have introduced a bill titled the “Make Greenland Great Again Act,” which would authorise Trump to negotiate with Denmark regarding the acquisition of Greenland once he is sworn in again on January 20, 2025.
Trump emphasised that Greenland’s strategic location between North America and Europe makes it vital for defending against potential threats, stating, “We need Greenland for national security purposes.” The island houses the northernmost U.S. military base, which plays a significant role in monitoring Arctic activities.
Beyond security, Trump appears to be motivated by Greenland’s natural resources. The melting ice due to climate change is expected to expose valuable minerals such as oil, gas, lithium, and rare earth elements, which are essential for technologies like electric vehicles and renewable energy systems. Experts note that these resources could become increasingly accessible as Arctic shipping routes open up, further enhancing Greenland’s geopolitical significance.
Like Canada, Trump is willing to impose tariffs on Denmark if they do not cooperate with U.S. interests regarding Greenland.
When Trump flamed these statements on Greenland, Denmark, which has been putting Greenland under its colony since 1721, dashed an instant reply that Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders and is not for sale. After quite a time, Denmark eased its reaction a bit, saying that Greenland may become independent, but not a state of the U.S.
Many EU countries, like Germany and France, were aggressive with Trump’s approaches, declaring that the entire EU would fight the US if the US hailed near the land.
Greenland’s Prime Minister, Mute Egede, says he is ready to negotiate with Donald Trump about Greenland’s future regarding defence and mining. However, all 5 parties in Greenland’s Parliament say they oppose Greenland becoming part of America.
A recent poll surveyed 416 individuals in Greenland, which has a total population of approximately 56,000. According to a poll by Patriot Polling released on Sunday, 57.3 percent of respondents approve of Greenland becoming part of the U.S. Just 37.4 percent disapproved of the potential acquisition, and 5.3 percent are undecided about the move.
Why Panama Canal?
Trump announced the possibility of reclaiming the Panama Canal on January 7, 2025, during a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago estate. He did not dismiss the option of using military action to regain control of the canal, which had been under U.S. authority until it was handed back to Panama in 1999 as part of a treaty signed by President Jimmy Carter. He even posted a photo on his social media account of the canal waving with an American flag on.
Trump criticised the fees imposed by Panama on U.S. vessels using the canal, labelling them as “exorbitant.” He indicated that if these fees were not lowered after he took office, he would demand that the U.S. regain control of the canal “swiftly and without hesitation.”
His remarks also reflect a desire to counter perceived Chinese influence in the region. He has suggested that Panama has allowed Chinese oversight over the canal, which he views as detrimental to U.S. interests. This aligns with his broader nationalist agenda focused on enhancing American influence internationally.
Besides these three expansions, Trump is intending to increase tariffs on Europe by a driven desire to address the trade deficit and to bolster U.S. energy exports. Europe has been relying on the high-priced US imports of oil after the Ukrainian-Russian war. They used to import it from Russia at a lower price than the US.
If that all happened under Trump’s reign in the next four years, especially the addition of Canada and Greenland, the US would become the world’s largest state, measuring nearly 22 million square km (8.5 million square miles). It would be significantly larger than Russia, which measures 17 million square km or 6.6 square miles. It might be then labelled as “The American Empire” in the 21st century.