LEMON DROP | Trump's Expansionist Dreams - A Global Land Grab
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Why is Trump fixated on acquiring territory like Greenland, Panama, and Canada?
to take you on a journey right now, a journey that might seem a little odd at first glance, but one that speaks to the heart of American identity, ambition, and even of obsession. We're talking about Donald Trump and his relentless fixation on expanding America's borders. Recently, he hasn't been able to stop talking about it. It seems in every single interview he is threatening to invade Panama or Greenland or Canada. And you might be asking, why Panama? Why Greenland? Why Canada? And why all of a sudden is Trump constantly invoking former President William McKinley? Well, hold on, because I'm going to take you... On a journey, it's going to take a minute to break down, okay? So let's start with Trump.
Throughout his political career, he has often painted a picture of American greatness tied not to economic might or military power, but to land territory that embodies our national destiny. For Trump, the very idea of expanding American influence isn't confined to policy rhetoric or trade deals. It's a matter of geography.
Listen, it will have a huge impact to further enhance our national security. My administration will be reclaiming the Panama Canal and we've already started doing it. We really need Greenland for national security. It's very important. You know, we have a couple of bases on Greenland already and we have quite a few soldiers and Maybe you'll see more and more soldiers go there. I don't know. What do you think about that, Pete? So don't answer that, Pete. Don't answer that. But we have bases, and we have quite a few soldiers in Greenland. And remember, with Canada, we don't need their cars. We don't need their lumber. We don't need their energy. We don't need anything from Canada. And yet it costs us $200 billion a year in subsidy to keep Canada afloat.
So when I say they should be a state, I mean that. I really mean that. Because... We can't be expected to carry a country that is right next to us on our border, it would be a great state. It would be a cherished state.
Trump's obsession with these territories, sovereign territories, I should add, is more than idle chatter. It taps into a longstanding American narrative, one that dates back to the era of manifest destiny when the United States was driven by the belief that it was destined to span the continent to bring order and civilization to what was then considered untamed wilderness. Here's where William McKinley comes into the picture. Believe me when I say that Trump is utterly obsessed with this one random former president. Here's him waxing poetic about the man at a Turning Point USA conference. This was just last year, by the way. Very successful businessman.
And then he ran for president. And he won. And he was able to use business principles. And he was a strong believer in tariffs. And we're actually probably wealthiest nation. of any time, relatively speaking, at any point in the history of our country. In the 1890s, we were so wealthy, we had commissions set up, what to do with all the money that we were taking in. We had no income tax, we only had tariffs. I consider that to be the most beautiful word in the dictionary. President McKinley was the president that was responsible for creating a vast sum of money in the United States that Teddy Roosevelt then spent. So let's say they were both excellent presidents. But McKinley did that. And that's one of the reasons that we're going to bring back the name of Mount McKinley, because I think he deserves it.
I think he deserves it. Folks, Trump never even speaks about Melania that way. He loves the man. Why? Well, it's at least partially because few presidents better embody the spirit of American expansionism than McKinley. Under McKinley's watch in the late 19th century, America embarked on a bold course of action.
How does Trump's rhetoric frame territorial expansion as a matter of national security?
His presidency oversaw the annexation of Puerto Rico, Guam, the Philippines, and Hawaii. These were big moves. The annexation of Puerto Rico alone added approximately 3,500 square miles to our domain, while the incorporation of Guam, the Philippines, and Hawaii redefined our strategic footprint in the Pacific.
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Chapters
3 chapters
1
Why is Trump fixated on acquiring territory like Greenland, Panama, and Canada?
0:00–4:13
2
How does Trump's rhetoric frame territorial expansion as a matter of national security?
4:13–4:36
3
What specific public statements has Trump made about reclaiming the Panama Canal and buying Greenland?
4:36–8:25
Speakers
3 identifiedMore from The Don Lemon Show
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