# 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:** 57
**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:** [August 12, 2026, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/1121 "2026-08-12T16:05:45Z")
Probably because there’s no site at [usembassy.gov](http://usembassy.gov). The embassy of the US in London is at [uk.usembassy.gov](http://uk.usembassy.gov) while the Greenland consulate is at [U.S. Consulate Nuuk - U.S. Embassy & Consulate in the Kingdom of Denmark](https://dk.usembassy.gov/nuuk) ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2026, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/1122 "2026-08-12T16:35:22Z")
Any precedent for declaring that a newly discovered petroleum deposit is a “vital national interest”? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2026, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/1123 "2026-08-12T16:43:38Z")
[Homepage - Websites of U.S. Missions and Offices Providing Consular Services](https://www.usembassy.gov/) works for me. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2026, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/1124 "2026-08-12T17:43:03Z")
If the Greenlanders want to evict these guys but don’t have sufficient police to do so, they could always ask Denmark for some help. ---
**Author:** ![Dorjan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorjan/32/12440_2.png) [@Dorjan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dorjan)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2026, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/1125 "2026-08-12T18:07:53Z")
Given the current administration’s recent performance in Iran & the Gulf of Hormuz, I’m not convinced they are capable of actually pulling off an invasion anywhere. Militarily capable of blowing shit up, yes, but everything else, laughable. ---
**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:** [August 12, 2026, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/1126 "2026-08-12T18:11:53Z")
And of course between Venezuela and Iran, the administration has exhausted the troops, used Navy vessels beyond the point where major overhaul is needed and used up the stockpiles of missiles. So I’m not sure there’s anything left with which to invade Greenland. ---
**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:** [August 12, 2026, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/1127 "2026-08-12T23:50:27Z")
The drilling company has been blocked. > **[Greenland forces Trump-linked US oil firm to delay drilling](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/aug/12/trump-greenland-oil)** > > US envoy had claimed Americans could be extracting crude by as early as next year ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2026, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/1128 "2026-08-13T00:16:31Z")
Thanks **@Dewey_Finn** and @Czarcasm. ---
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2026, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/1129 "2026-08-13T03:55:59Z")
What’s funny is (from @Smapti’s article) “…Jeff Landry, the hard-right Louisiana governor whom Trump named as his envoy to Greenland. He said after a visit that oil supposedly lying under Greenland could ease the energy crisis caused by the US attack on Iran.” Or, we could, you know, have never attacked Iran… ---
**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:** [August 13, 2026, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/1130 "2026-08-13T04:04:26Z")
> [@Locrian](#): > > “…Jeff Landry, the hard-right Louisiana governor whom Trump named as his envoy to Greenland. He said after a visit that oil supposedly lying under Greenland could ease the energy crisis caused by the US attack on Iran.” Still not as dumb as the guy who proposed that annexing Greenland would mean Red Lobster could bring back Endless Shrimp. > **[Trump official pushed to invade Greenland for 'endless shrimp' at Red Lobster](https://www.aol.com/articles/trump-official-pushed-invade-greenland-201300000.html)** > > President Donald Trump has repeatedly mused about annexing Greenland for 'national security reasons' despite the territory being controlled by Denmark ---
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2026, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/1131 "2026-08-13T06:03:43Z")
If that doof was along on the Turkey trip, he would’ve been invited to the decoy plane with Orangeboy! “Endless shrimp and turkey?” thought Donny… ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2026, 8:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/1132 "2026-08-13T08:56:59Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > Any precedent for declaring that a newly discovered petroleum deposit is a “vital national interest”? I’m not sure it’s ever been openly declared as such, but certainly “What’s good for big business is good for America” has long driven military (and paramilitary) activity in foreign countries for a long, long time. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2026, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/1133 "2026-08-24T17:47:32Z")
Now trump wants to use military force against the bond market. > **[Trump’s comments about the military and the bond market betray his economic...](https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/trump-military-bond-market-yields-economy-ignorance-illiteracy)** > > The president, in a rather literal sense, just doesn’t know what he’s talking about when it comes to economic policies he really ought to understand. I’m going to edit the preview tile wording for accuracy and succinctness: > The president, in a rather literal sense, just doesn’t know what he’s talking about ~~when it comes to economic policies he really ought to understand.~~ ---
**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:** [August 24, 2026, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/1134 "2026-08-24T17:55:15Z")
His actual statement is weird. (Reporter: The yields have come back up since then. Have you talked to [Treasury Secretary Scott] Bessent about another type of intervention.? Trump: The ultimate intervention is our military. And if we have to use that, we will.) So we’re going to deploy the troops in the bond market now? > **[Acyn (@acyn.bsky.social)](https://bsky.app/profile/acyn.bsky.social/post/3mtmp6vtvdx2u)** > > Reporter on Bond Market: The yields have come back up since then. Have you talked to Bessent about another type of intervention.? > > Trump: The ultimate intervention is our military. And if we have to use that, we will. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2026, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/1135 "2026-08-24T17:55:17Z")
He says the most batshit stuff every day. Remember when we would spend a week talking about Obama saying there were 57 states? Ah, those were saner times. ---
**Author:** ![leahcim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b4bc9f/32.png) [@leahcim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leahcim)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2026, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/1136 "2026-08-24T18:08:47Z")
A week, you say. I recall that being brought up for _years_ ---
**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:** [August 24, 2026, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/1137 "2026-08-24T18:09:44Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > So we’re going to deploy the troops in the bond market now? I think it’s a sign of Trump’s increasing dementia. He didn’t understand or didn’t hear the question but rather than ask for it to be repeated, he latched onto “intervention” and said what he usually associates with that, which is the military. If someone comes back and asks him why he said he would deploy the military against the bond market, he’s going to say fake news because he doesn’t remember any of this. ---
**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:** [August 24, 2026, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/1138 "2026-08-24T18:10:02Z")
Remember the tan suit? ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2026, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/1139 "2026-08-24T18:10:41Z")
“I was being sarcastic.” ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2026, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/1140 "2026-08-24T18:23:01Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > > [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > > > ‘I feel sorry for Americans. If you can’t be friends with Canada, then you almost certainly do not have a friend anywhere in the world.’ - British Columbia Premier David Eby > > I think he’s right. Nonsense! The Orange One is still great friends with Kim Jong-Un and Vladimir Putin. They seem to share many of the same ideals. > [@PhillyGuy](#): > > This Guardian story from three days ago is also important: > > [An American oil company connected to Donald Trump is preparing to sink wells in remote Greenland despite not having received permission from the local authorities.](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/aug/08/greenland-iwarning-trump-linked-oil-firm-prepares-drill) In common parlance, this is known as “theft”, and more specifically, “grand larceny”. In international parlance, this is known as “an act of war”. If it happens, this will do wonders for America’s reputation around the world, which is already in the toilet. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691.md?page=56) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691.md?page=58)