# 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:** 44
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2026, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/861 "2026-01-20T17:39:39Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > Is it possible that the simplest and cleanest way to defuse this crisis is for the Nobel Committee to declare a do-over and give him the prize? No because the Nobel Prize silliness doesn’t matter. What matters is that there’s now an extremely high chance of war against Denmark and the complete immolation of the Western world’s economic and diplomatic order. The Trump administration has now gone so far on this, and convinced so many Trumpists that invading Greenland must happen, that it’s nearly impossible for them to walk it back. ---
**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 20, 2026, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/862 "2026-01-20T17:58:10Z")
Nobel Prize nominations end long before the prizes are awarded. The 2025 prize winners were nominated before the deadline of January 1, 2025. So someone could nominate Trump before January 31, 2026 for a 2026 prize (which would be awarded late in the year). “ **Nominations** Nomination forms are sent by the Nobel Committee to about 3,000 individuals, usually in September the year before the prizes are awarded. These individuals are generally prominent academics working in a relevant area. Regarding the Peace Prize, inquiries are also sent to governments, former Peace Prize laureates, and current or former members of the Norwegian Nobel Committee. The deadline for the return of the nomination forms is 31 January of the year of the award.[[53]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobel_Prize#cite_note-Feldman16-17-54)[[54]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobel_Prize#cite_note-Levinovitz26-55) The Nobel Committee nominates about 300 potential laureates from these forms and additional names.[[55]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobel_Prize#cite_note-Abrams15-56) The nominees are not publicly named, nor are they told that they are being considered for the prize.” ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2026, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/863 "2026-01-20T18:01:20Z")
> [@Mark\_Finn](#): > > So someone could nominate Trump before January 31, 2026 for a 2026 prize (which would be awarded late in the year). FWIW, a number of people, including Benjamin Netanyahu and members of Congress, have nominated him already. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2026, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/864 "2026-01-20T18:05:54Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > What matters is that there’s now an extremely high chance of war against Denmark and the complete immolation of the Western world’s economic and diplomatic order. I’m not sure it’s “extremely high.” But the fact that there’s any chance at all is completely insane. Talk about creating a problem where none existed. ---
**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 20, 2026, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/865 "2026-01-20T18:06:42Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > He tells it like it is. Yes he does. Thank you for the link. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2026, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/866 "2026-01-20T18:10:43Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > FWIW, a number of people, including Benjamin Netanyahu and members of Congress, have nominated him already. Being nominated doesn’t really mean anything. HUNDREDS of people are nominated every year, and as thousands of people can do the nominating, pretty much anyone with a degree of fame/notoriety has a pretty good shot at a nomination. ---
**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 20, 2026, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/867 "2026-01-20T18:11:10Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > convinced so many Trumpists that invading Greenland must happen, In a recent poll, only 17% of Americans approve of Trump’s EFFORTS to acquire Greenland. (just under 20% had never even heard of these plans) In this poll, Only 4% of Americans said it would be a “good idea” for the U.S. to use military force to take possession of Greenland from Denmark. Four. Percent. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2026, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/868 "2026-01-20T18:12:44Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Being nominated doesn’t really mean anything. I agree, and the nominations (most of which happened last fall, IIRC) were clearly just attempts to suck up to Trump. I was just pointing out to @Mark_Finn that it’s already been done. ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2026, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/869 "2026-01-20T18:14:27Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > Four. Percent. Why should someone who does not believe in democracy care about polls? ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2026, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/870 "2026-01-20T18:18:29Z")
Instead of the word “polls,” use the word “ratings.” That word, he apparently understands. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2026, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/871 "2026-01-20T18:44:51Z")
I’m so horrified by this issue that I just did something I’ve never done before: wrote to my congressman. He’s MAGA in a safe red district so it’s just shouting into the void…but I’m still glad I did it. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2026, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/872 "2026-01-20T18:47:13Z")
> [@Mark\_Finn](#): > > Nobel Prize nominations end long before the prizes are awarded. But Trump doesn’t care about any of that. If he had come up with this idea a week before the prize was awarded, he’d still have demanded it. The funny thing is, in the end, he just wanted the stupid plaque. I’m sure he’s perfectly happy with his second hand peace prize with someone else’s name on it. As always he’s acting like a 5 year old that’s angrier about not being allowed to have something than he is about not having it in the first place. He really, really doesn’t like to be told ‘no’, which is exactly what happens when you surround yourself by people that only say yes. And, like the little brat that he is, when he’s told no he throws a temper tantrum. This is why we don’t give 5 year olds access to the power that comes with being president. This is exactly what they would do with it. ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2026, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/873 "2026-01-20T18:59:08Z")
> [@Spoons](#): > > “Not exactly, sir. Let’s just say that if you hear, ‘Incoming!’. you take cover immediately.” Gives “bunker” a whole new meaning in golf. ---
**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 20, 2026, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/874 "2026-01-20T19:24:49Z")
> [@Section\_Maker\_Jupe](#): > > also note worthy reading if you are at Substack is Robert Reich’s daily take on this administration. (and many other thinkers as well) And Heather Cox Richardson. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2026, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/875 "2026-01-20T19:54:35Z")
Rep Don Bacon, a Republican from Nebraska, said he would consider impeachment if Trump invades Greenland. I’m not sure what Trump would have to do to ensure impeachment, if that would not do it. And actually I think the 25th amendment should be used in that case. ---
**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 20, 2026, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/876 "2026-01-20T19:55:22Z")
> [@Horatius](#): > > Gives “bunker” a whole new meaning in golf. I’m thinking of the bunker scene. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2026, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/877 "2026-01-20T20:04:49Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Rep Don Bacon, a Republican from Nebraska, said he would consider impeachment if Trump invades Greenland. That’s been mentioned in some other threads here in recent days. FWIW, Bacon is apparently one of the few moderate, non-MAGA Republicans left in the House, he’s been a critic of Trump during this second term, and he’s not running for re-election. If Trump-supporting Republican congresspeople start jumping ship, _then_ I’ll believe that something might happen. ---
**Author:** ![DWMarch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwmarch/32/1010_2.png) [@DWMarch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DWMarch)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2026, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/878 "2026-01-21T02:53:05Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > I’m thinking of the bunker scene. This one? [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/pzgrjemPGpg/maxresdefault.jpg "Hitler is informed that Trump wants to take over Greenland") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzgrjemPGpg) ---
**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 21, 2026, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/879 "2026-01-21T03:04:12Z")
No, the historical bunker ‘scene’. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2026, 9:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/880 "2026-01-21T09:14:56Z")
I can’t help wondering if Bruno Ganz and the other actors are getting any sort of repeat fee for those parodies… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691.md?page=43) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691.md?page=45)