Republican lawmakers are scratching their heads over President-elect Trump’s ambitions to take over Greenland and the Panama Canal, grand plans the incoming commander in chief put again on the desk over the Christmas and New Yr’s recess.
GOP senators and Home members view the prospect of the US taking on Greenland as notably outlandish, however they’re leery of confronting Trump.
The thought of resuming direct U.S. management over the Panama Canal additionally appears unlikely, however some Republican lawmakers say the US has an important nationwide safety curiosity in defending the canal’s neutrality.
In addition they warn that China is attempting to increase its affect in Central and South America, which can be why Trump floated the concept shortly earlier than Christmas of regaining management of the canal.
However senior Republicans on Capitol Hill don’t see a path for Trump buying Greenland or the Panama Canal and level on the market’s been no severe dialogue of these concepts in Washington since Trump left the White Home 4 years in the past.
“I don’t think it’s for sale,” Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), the previous chair of the Home Overseas Affairs Committee, mentioned of Greenland, chuckling.
McCaul mentioned China has a presence on each ends of the Panama Canal however he doesn’t see a path for the US getting it again.
“He’s probably referring somewhat to that, but I’m not sure legally how you can purchase that, if that’s what he’s talking about,” he mentioned.
McCaul laughed when requested whether or not Trump would mull a attainable army invasion of Greenland or Panama, replying: “I don’t think so.”
“I think he’s kind of freely speaking. He’d love to have Greenland. He seems to really like Greenland a lot,” he mentioned of Trump.
“I think he thinks that Jimmy Carter — God rest his soul — sold it for a dollar and that was not a good deal,” he mentioned of the Panama Canal. “We gave up a lot.”
McCaul mentioned lawmakers ought to brace themselves for Trump floating main overseas coverage concepts off the cuff, one thing that’s already inflicting agitation on Capitol Hill.
“You’re going to see a lot more. It’s the way Trump is. You try to dissect what’s reality, what’s not,” he mentioned.
Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) laughed when requested about Trump’s territorial designs on Greenland and the Panama Canal. He famous that the US has a historical past of territorial enlargement, though it’s not being mentioned critically exterior of Trump’s social media account.
“The United States has not always been 50 states. We’ve acquired Alaska and the Hawaiian Islands and even Texas in 1845, so I haven’t heard any real discussions outside of what President Trump said,” Cornyn mentioned.
Cornyn, exhibiting due deference to the president elect, mentioned he’s “willing to listen” to what Trump has in thoughts however didn’t appear to count on any detailed proposal would come to Congress quickly.
One Republican senator joked that Greenland is ripe for the taking as a result of it doesn’t have a standing army of any consequence.
“I wonder where their Army and Navy are going to come from,” the senator quipped.
Trump caught the policymaking institution abruptly final month when he posted on social media that the “United States of America feels that the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity.”
Senate Armed Companies Committee Chair Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) provided a dollop of understatement in describing Trump’s ambitions to take over Greenland and the Panama Canal.
“I think he was speaking aspirationally,” he mentioned of the president-elect.
Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), a staunch Trump ally and member of the Senate Overseas Relations Committee, mentioned the president-elect is severe about taking on Greenland.
“I think he’s serious about that, and I think he’s serious about the Panama Canal,” he mentioned.
However Scott conceded he didn’t understand how Trump would go about getting Denmark and Panama to purchase into his imaginative and prescient. Greenland is a territory of Denmark, and its residents are additionally residents of Denmark.
Some GOP lawmakers say they view Trump’s statements about territorial enlargement as a “negotiating” posture that might improve future diplomacy.
However Denmark, Greenland and Panama don’t seem amused by the tactic.
The Danish authorities introduced final month it will increase protection spending for Greenland by at the least $1.5 billion in response to Trump’s feedback.
Congress final month handed an annual protection invoice authorizing $895 billion in army spending for 2025.
Democrats didn’t discover Trump’s trial balloons humorous in any respect. They argued the proposals may damage U.S. alliances and undermine worldwide stability.
“I find it hard to take his comments on threatening to try and reclaim the Panama Canal and to try and acquire Greenland seriously,” mentioned Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), a senior member of the Senate Overseas Relations Committee.
“One of many issues I had forgotten concerning the earlier Trump administration was how continuously the president-elect had an inclination to throw out lethal severe issues as simply type of informal tweets or speaking factors or balloons.
“It’s very clear from their responses that neither Panama nor Denmark and Greenland welcome those overtures and these are important allies. I think we should be working to find ways to partner with them, not to needlessly create division with them,” he mentioned.
Greenland Prime Minister Múte Egede desires his nation to as a substitute set up its independence from Denmark, and he pushed again on Trump’s statements, declaring that his homeland shouldn’t be on the market.
“Greenland is ours. We are not for sale and will never be for sale. We must not lose our long struggle for freedom,” he mentioned.
Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), a member of the Senate Overseas Relations Committee, warned: “Foreign policy is not a real estate game.”
“It’s about effective use of American power, and it’s not an effective use of American power to be threatening these countries to effectively seize their territory,” he mentioned.
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