With just about two weeks left for his return to the White House, US President-elect Donald Trump suggested that he might use “economic force” to make Canada the 51st American state and refused to rule out military action to acquire the Panama Canal and Greenland. The statements are part of a broader expansionist agenda that he has promoted since winning the November 2024 elections. While speaking to reporters on Tuesday at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, Trump, who is scheduled to take office on January 20, also promised to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America” and said he would demand far higher defence spending from NATO allies. The President-elect has been floating the idea of making Canada the 51st American state ever since he met Prime Minister Justin Trudeau after winning the November 5, 2024 election. He has also mentioned this in several social media posts and, in some, also referred to the Prime Minister, who resigned on Monday, as “Governor Trudeau”.