As President-elect Donald Trump suggests the U.S. should own Greenland, annex Canada, and take back the Panama Canal, Republicans are dismissing his threats as saber rattling, which might have benefits, Politico reported.
"But from a foreign policy context, crazy worked just fine the first time," Matthew Bartlett, a GOP strategist and appointee in Trump's first administration told Politico. "If leaders are like, we may not respect you but we absolutely think that you're bonkers, and we don't know what's coming at us next, great. Full send. And if that leads to better peace and prosperity in Ukraine, in Israel, with terrorists on watch, with foreign states. Great. They should be put on notice."
Dave Carney, a Republican strategist, told Politico he thinks Trump's musings could be a clever negotiating ploy.
"With the president, there's, I think, always the possibility that other countries think, 'holy shmoly, he may actually do that, we should try to accommodate him,'" Carney said.
Politico described Trump's latest threats as a mix of serious intention, intimidation, and trolling. A Trump transition official pointed out to Politico that Canada has already committed to securing the northern border and cracking down on drugs
"President Trump has done more to put America First since November 5 than Joe Biden did in four years. World leaders are flocking to the table because President Trump is already delivering on his promise to Make America Strong Again," Trump-J.D. Vance transition spokesperson Anna Kelly said in a statement. "When he officially takes office, foreign nations will think twice before ripping off our country, America will be respected again, and the whole world will be safer."
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau responded by sharing a video on social media about the history of Canada, while Panamanian president José Raúl Mulino vowed "every square meter of the Panama Canal and its adjacent zone belongs to Panama, and will continue to do so."
While Greenland continues to reject Trump's wish for America to own the territory, a Trump transition spokesman said the goal would be to curb Russian aggression in the region. Jim McLaughlin, a Republican pollster, said it's all part of how Trump negotiates.
"It's the art of the deal, and it's Trump putting America first," said McLaughlin to Politico. "He's trying to get the best deals for America."
Sam Barron ✉
Sam Barron has almost two decades of experience covering a wide range of topics including politics, crime and business.
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