# Trump now wants to use military force to take the Panama Canal and Greenland **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Tags:** trump\ **Created:** [January 7, 2025, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691 "2025-01-07T20:27:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 41
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2026, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/801 "2026-01-18T16:12:14Z")
> [@Pardel-Lux](#): > > It reminds him of his father. Something like [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWf0u-ivyoY) is constantly playing in the dim recesses of his mind: ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2026, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/802 "2026-01-18T16:12:59Z")
> **[💥 ARCTIC BLOCKADE BOMBSHELL: HOUSE AND SENATE SECURE VOTES for BIPARTISAN...](https://todayonus.com/posts/arctic-blockade-bombshell-house-and-senate-secure-votes-for-bipartisan-nato-unity-protection-act-explicitly-blocking-trump-from-military-force-on-greenland-nato-roro)** > > WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressional leaders from both major parties announced Tuesday that the U.S. House and Senate have secured the votes necessary to pass the > **WASHINGTON, D.C.** — Congressional leaders from both major parties announced Tuesday that the U.S. House and Senate have secured the votes necessary to pass the bipartisan NATO Unity Protection Act, a bill designed to reaffirm U.S. treaty commitments and explicitly prohibit the President from using military force to seize Greenland, a self-governing Danish territory under NATO protection. … > > Once passed, the legislation is expected to head to the President’s desk, where its supporters anticipate a veto confrontation could emerge. If that happens, leaders in both chambers say they already have—or are close to—the two-thirds majority required to override. > > Regardless of the final outcome, the legislative push signals a moment of rare bipartisan convergence in Congress around NATO unity, democratic alliances, and limits on unilateral wartime powers. ---
**Author:** ![Mark\_Finn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/34f0e0/32.png) [@Mark\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mark_Finn)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2026, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/803 "2026-01-18T22:33:36Z")
Revenge scenario - Europe holds US T-bills valued in the trillions of $. Could they simply stop buying more, or sell what they have (who would buy them?). Would this damage the US economy? [Which Countries Are Buying & Selling U.S. Treasuries – Treasury Market Overview](https://wealthmd.net/news/which-countries-are-buying-selling-u-s-treasuries/#:~:text=Japan%20is%20currently%20the%20largest,its%20long%20term%20trading%20relationship.) ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2026, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/804 "2026-01-18T23:07:36Z")
> [@Mark\_Finn](#): > > (who would buy them?). Would this damage the US economy? China might buy them if the price was right. Own more of the US = more leverage Would it damage the US economy? In enough scale, if done quickly enough, it would tank it. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2026, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/805 "2026-01-19T00:17:10Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > [💥 ARCTIC BLOCKADE BOMBSHELL: HOUSE AND SENATE SECURE VOTES for BIPARTISAN NATO UNITY PROTECTION ACT — Explicitly BLOCKING T̄R̄UMP from MILITARY FORCE on GREENLAND, NATO Allies Ignite Fury in Escalating Global Clash! ⚡roro - TodayOnUs](https://todayonus.com/posts/arctic-blockade-bombshell-house-and-senate-secure-votes-for-bipartisan-nato-unity-protection-act-explicitly-blocking-trump-from-military-force-on-greenland-nato-roro) I’m not seeing this elsewhere on the news; and I’d expect to. Do you have any additional sources? ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2026, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/806 "2026-01-19T00:20:00Z")
[**3-page PDF – NATO Unity Protection Act**](https://www.foreign.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/nato_unity_protection_act.pdf) ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2026, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/807 "2026-01-19T00:29:01Z")
Thanks. Says “referred to committee”, which sometimes means ‘and will never be heard from again.’ Hope that’s not true in this case. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2026, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/808 "2026-01-19T02:32:38Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > I’m not seeing this elsewhere on the news; and I’d expect to. Do you have any additional sources? FWIW, I’m not seeing this story online at WaPo or NYTimes. Sunday evening, 8:30 CST. Seems like an important story… 🤷🏽‍♀️ ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2026, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/809 "2026-01-19T02:38:37Z")
> ‘Speaking of Greenland, there’s a question for you that I want to pose. What is the difference between Greenland and Donald Trump? Greenland is not for sale,’ > **[Amy Klobuchar Hits Back At Booing Republicans With A Pricey Trump Punchline](https://www.klobuchar.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2025/2/amy-klobuchar-hits-back-at-booing-republicans-with-a-pricey-trump-punchline)** > > HuffPost > > By Ben Blanchet > > Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) refused to walk on eggshells as she cracked jokes aimed at President Donald Trump and Republicans on Wednesday. > > Klobuchar — who was among those trading jabs at the Washington Press Club... ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2026, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/810 "2026-01-19T02:41:50Z")
@ThelmaLou — If it actually gets out of committee and passes both houses, it certainly will be. But it doesn’t read to me like that’s happened. Though I’d love to wake up tomorrow and find out that it has. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2026, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/811 "2026-01-19T02:44:40Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > I’m not seeing this elsewhere on the news; and I’d expect to. Do you have any additional sources? Major U.S.-based news sources are laying off this story for some reason, but Al-Jazeera has covered it. > **[US senators introduce bill to stop Trump seizing Greenland](https://www.aljazeera.com/amp/news/2026/1/14/us-senators-introduce-bill-to-stop-trump-seizing-greenland)** > > The bipartisan bill would bar funding for any move to occupy or annex the territory of a NATO member state. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2026, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/812 "2026-01-19T02:58:13Z")
That matches with the PDF linked above: the bill’s been introduced. Whether it’ll go anywhere seems to be another question. The post I originally replied to on this subject linked to a cite that claimed that they have the votes in both houses to pass it, and with either veto proof supermajorities or very close to that. Has anyone seen that elsewhere? Again, I’d really like it to be true. And maybe that many Republicans in Congress have finally decided to do their jobs. But up to now they’ve been pretty determined not to. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2026, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/813 "2026-01-19T03:08:37Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > If it actually gets out of committee and passes both houses, it certainly will be. > [@bordelond](#): > > Major U.S.-based news sources are laying off this story for some reason, but Al-Jazeera has covered it. > [@thorny\_locust](#): > > And maybe that many Republicans in Congress have finally decided to do their jobs. But up to now they’ve been pretty determined not to. It seems to me that mainstream American media should be covering the hell out of this! That would put pressure on Republicans to follow through. Especially if coverage generates public response directly to Republican legislators to get off thier butts and vote for it. Why keep it under wraps? Even in this nascent state it’s still news. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2026, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/814 "2026-01-19T03:21:40Z")
They’re not saying “boo,” they’re saying “Klo-BOO-char.” ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2026, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/815 "2026-01-19T03:38:37Z")
Alaska Public Media reports Murkowsjki and Shaheen co-sponsored the bill > **[Murkowski wants to reassure Denmark, but it's not clear Congress is with her](https://alaskapublic.org/news/politics/washington-d-c/2026-01-14/murkowski-wants-to-reassure-denmark-but-its-not-clear-congress-is-with-her)** > > President Trump continues to talk about taking Greenland, a territory of Denmark. Congress hasn't shown it's willing to rein in his military ambitions. [Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-concurrent-resolution/26/text) lists the bill as actually sponsored by Arizona Dem. Reuben Gallego, which might be why it’s hard to find ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2026, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/816 "2026-01-19T04:07:46Z")
> [@bordelond](#): > > Major U.S.-based news sources are laying off this story for some reason, but Al-Jazeera has covered it. The reason for not covering it is the same as with lots of other bills that do not have needed support to go to the floor for a vote. Here is a roughly similar bill that has been introduced in the House: > **[Bacon, Colleagues Introduce Bipartisan Legislation Prohibiting a U.S....](https://bacon.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2849)** To get this to a House vote, there needs to be a discharge petition. Web search shows this has not been started. If there is a discharge petition, it will get a lot of U.S. newspaper coverage. I am all for them passing a Greenland bill, and conceivably congress will. Trump would veto, and the veto would be upheld. But there’s a possibility it would be a factor in Trump delaying an invasion, and the longer the delay, the less chance it happens.. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2026, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/817 "2026-01-19T06:16:47Z")
I would not hold my breath that the US Duma ( _Gosudarstvennaya duma_) will pass any legislation of the sort. I’d give a Senate vote maybe a 25% chance. A house vote less than 1%. Veto proof? Nope. Never. ---
**Author:** ![aurora\_maire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aurora_maire/32/328_2.png) [@aurora\_maire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aurora_maire)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2026, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/818 "2026-01-19T07:07:17Z")
Trump sent a letter to the Norwegian prime minister that is absolutely demented. It was also forwarded to multiple European ambassadors in Washington by National Security Council staff. I would swear he was drunk posting if I didn’t know he was a teetotaler. > [@](#): > > Dear Jonas - Considering your country decided not to give me the Nobel Peace Prize for having stopped 8 wars PLUS, I no longer feel an obligation to think purely of peace, although it will always be predominant, but can now think about what is good and proper for the United States of America. > > Denmark cannot protect that land from Russia or China, and why do they have a “right of ownership” anyway? > > There are no written documents, it’s only that a boat landed there hundreds of years ago, but we had boats landing there, also. > > I have done more for Nato than any other person since its founding, and now, Nato should do something for the United States. > > The world is not secure unless we have complete and total control of Greenland. > **[Donald Trump declares: 'I no longer feel obliged to think purely of peace' in...](https://www.gbnews.com/politics/us/donald-trump-greenland-norway-nobel-peace-prize)** > > 'I have done more for Nato than any other person... Now, Nato should do something for the United States,' the President proclaimed ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2026, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/819 "2026-01-19T07:15:10Z")
> [@aurora\_maire](#): > > (quoting Mad King Donald) > > Dear Jonas - Considering your country decided not to give me the Nobel Peace Prize for having stopped 8 wars PLUS, I no longer feel an obligation to think purely of peace, although it will always be predominant, but can now think about what is good and proper for the United States of America. > > Denmark cannot protect that land from Russia or China, and why do they have a “right of ownership” anyway? > > There are no written documents, it’s only that a boat landed there hundreds of years ago, but we had boats landing there, also. > > I have done more for Nato than any other person since its founding, and now, Nato should do something for the United States. > > The world is not secure unless we have complete and total control of Greenland. Yeesh. Even by his standards this is unhinged. You’d think someone in the diplomatic corps would at least TRY to polish this and make it look more like something a sane person would write, but I guess His Eminence insists that His words be transmitted unedited. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2026, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/820 "2026-01-19T13:40:43Z")
Or, the diplomatic corp wants the world to see how crazy he is. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691.md?page=40) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691.md?page=42)