In a few days, Donald Trump managed to upset and turn three (and one) countries against him, with statements that could be described as products of imperialist insanity, if not just bad humor. The question of whether he meant it is not at all philosophical, as is whether there are people on his staff who advise him to make such statements or simply fail to prevent him.

What the US President-elect said

  1. He would like his country to take back from Panama control of the Canal, which joins the Pacific Ocean with the Atlantic Ocean.
  2. Could Canada, the USA’s big neighbor, become its 51st State so that its citizens would pay lower taxes and feel defensively safer under its own umbrella.
  3. He would also like to acquire (buy? – conquer?) Greenland, which is subject to Denmark under international treaties, but has a self-governing status and significant autonomy.

Maps aren’t that fun

If he wasn’t who he is, and he wasn’t about to be sworn in as President of the United States on January 20th, one could talk about a series of bad jokes by a bigoted fantasist. Some took advantage, however… speculating and began posting maps of the world on social media, as would be ideal for the flamboyant and often incoherent president, who instead of the prison door, as many of his opponents once hoped, ended up preparing to pass that of the White House. But the thing is not funny at all and it certifies that the planet should be ready to hear and maybe even experience a lot of unpredictability in the next four years. In fact, many say that Trump will look for a way to bypass the obstacles to another term.

Face-to-face insult to Trudeau

Behind his between-serious and funny sentences hides an arrogance, but also anything but veiled threats. In Canada, for example, they are worried about Washington imposing tariffs of 25% on their products under the pretext of not guarding their borders. Something he had not hesitated to say to the country’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and repeated later with his post on the X platform. A similar threat has been launched towards Mexico.

The Canal seems expensive to him

His warning to Panama, delivered by no accident in a speech to an audience of “conservative activists,” was even more ominous. Trump has called for a reduction in fees for US ships crossing the Canal, warning that if there is no compliance he will seek to restore US ownership of the area.

“To the officials of Panama, I warn you: make sure you comply,” said the President, who said he wants to make “America Great” again, now giving a completely different dimension to his slogan.

He wants the biggest island on the planet

In this context also fits his opinion on the acquisition of Greenland by Denmark, an action he described as “absolutely necessary for the national security of the USA”. The Danes, as in 2019, rejected the proposal, while the Prime Minister of Greenland, Mute Egede, angrily replied: “Greenland is ours and is not for sale.”

Analysts, diplomats and journalists are now puzzling over where the jokes end and where things start to get out of hand. In any case, all of the above shows how Trump perceives the role of the superpower. And of course they also cause serious concerns about what his role will be in trying to find solutions to existing conflicts, when his disposition is rather to create new ones.

Who can stop him?

The hope of many is that eventually the US establishment of lobbying, business, banking, the actual “deep state” that is, will at some point rein in the imaginations of extreme conservatives, who are seduced by such narratives within the grand idea of ​​”America First”. .