If you’ve been scrolling through your news feed lately, you probably feel like we’ve stepped into a time machine. One day it's a headline about purchasing a massive Arctic island, and the next, it’s talk of "reclaiming" a canal that the U.S. hasn’t controlled since Bill Clinton was in office. It sounds like something out of a 19th-century history book, right? But honestly, the conversation around why does Trump want Greenland and the Panama Canal isn't just a random whim. It’s part of a very specific, very aggressive strategy that some people are calling the "Don-roe Doctrine."
Basically, it’s a modern twist on the old Monroe Doctrine—the idea that the U.S. should call the shots in its own hemisphere.
The Greenland Obsession: It's Not Just a Real Estate Deal
Back in 2019, when the idea of buying Greenland first surfaced, a lot of people laughed. They thought it was just a "real estate guy" being a real estate guy. Fast forward to 2026, and the laughter has mostly died down, replaced by some pretty intense diplomatic tension. Greenland is huge. It’s the world’s largest island, and for Trump, it represents a massive "security black hole" that he wants to plug.
Why? Well, have you looked at a map of the Arctic lately? It’s getting crowded.
National Security or Natural Resources?
Trump has been pretty vocal about the "dogsled" defense. He famously joked—or maybe he wasn't joking—that Denmark’s defense of the island is basically two guys on a sled. He’s worried about Russian and Chinese ships "all over the place" in the Arctic.
But there's a second layer to this. Greenland is sitting on a goldmine of critical minerals. We’re talking about rare earth elements like neodymium and praseodymium. If those names sound like gibberish, just know they’re the stuff that makes your smartphone work and powers the magnets in electric vehicles and missile guidance systems.
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- The GIUK Gap: This is a big one for the military geeks. It stands for Greenland-Iceland-UK. It’s a chokepoint. If you control this gap, you control who gets in and out of the Atlantic from the Arctic.
- The China Factor: China has been trying to brand itself as a "near-Arctic state" for years. They want a "Polar Silk Road." Trump wants to make sure that road never gets built.
Interestingly, the administration has even floated the idea of giving Greenlanders cash payments—somewhere between $10,000 and $15,000 per person—to join the U.S. It sounds wild, but it’s a real part of the conversation happening in D.C. right now.
Taking Back the Panama Canal
Then there’s the Panama Canal. This one is personal for Trump. He’s repeatedly called the 1977 treaty that gave the canal back to Panama a "foolish gift." To him, the U.S. built it, U.S. lives were lost making it (he often cites a figure of 38,000, though historians say it's much lower for Americans specifically), and therefore, the U.S. should run it.
But the 2026 push for the canal isn’t just about nostalgia. It’s about a very specific fear: Chinese influence.
The Neutrality Dispute
Right now, the Panama Canal is neutral. Everyone pays the same tolls. Trump hates this. He’s argued that American ships are being "severely overcharged" and that the U.S. should get preferential treatment because, well, we’re the biggest customer.
The "China is running it" claim usually refers to the ports at either end of the canal. For years, a Hong Kong-based company called CK Hutchison operated these ports. In Trump’s view, that’s as good as the Chinese Communist Party having their hands on the steering wheel.
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Recently, there’s been a shift. A U.S.-led consortium involving BlackRock has moved to take over some of these port operations. Trump has pointed to this as a win, but he still insists on "reclaiming" the whole thing. Panama, for its part, is not exactly thrilled. Their president has been pretty blunt, calling these claims "fantasies."
Why These Two Targets Together?
You might wonder why Greenland and Panama are always mentioned in the same breath. It’s because they represent the "bookends" of American influence.
If you control Greenland, you control the northern approach to the continent. If you control the Panama Canal, you control the gateway between the two biggest oceans on Earth. It’s a "hemispheric defense" strategy. The goal is to push out "adversarial models"—mostly China and Russia—and ensure that the Western Hemisphere remains an American-dominated zone.
The "Don-roe Doctrine" in Action
This isn't just talk. We saw the administration use military force in Venezuela earlier this year to capture Nicolás Maduro. That sent a message to the rest of the region: the "Don-roe Doctrine" is real, and it has teeth.
- Economic Leverage: Using U.S. private sector investment (like the BlackRock deal) to edge out Chinese companies.
- Diplomatic Pressure: Appointing special envoys, like Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry, to handle "Greenland interests."
- Military Posturing: Refusing to rule out force. Even though 73% of Americans oppose a military invasion of Greenland, the White House has kept "all options on the table."
What Most People Get Wrong
A common misconception is that this is just about "buying land." It’s more complex. For Greenland, the U.S. is also looking at something called a Compact of Free Association (COFA). This is what the U.S. has with places like Palau or the Marshall Islands. They stay independent, but the U.S. handles their defense and gets exclusive military access.
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It’s a "halfway house" between being a foreign country and being a U.S. territory.
The Challenges Ahead
It’s not going to be easy. Denmark and Greenland have said "we’re not for sale" about a thousand times now. And Panama is a sovereign nation with a very strong sense of pride regarding the canal. Moving in on either could fracture NATO or turn the entire South American continent against Washington.
Plus, there’s the "self-determination" issue. International law generally says you can’t just swap people like baseball cards anymore. You need a referendum. You need the people living there to say yes.
What to Watch For Next
If you're trying to keep up with how this unfolds, here are a few things that will signal where this is going:
- The Greenland Referendum Rumors: Watch for news about Greenlandic political parties pushing for independence from Denmark. If they break away from Copenhagen, that's when the U.S. will likely swoop in with a "security agreement" offer.
- Toll Negotiations in Panama: Keep an eye on the Panama Canal Authority. If they suddenly announce "special rates" for U.S.-flagged vessels, it means the pressure from Washington is working.
- Critical Mineral Permits: See if American mining companies start getting fast-tracked permits in southern Greenland (places like Narsaq). This is the "economic security" part of the plan in action.
The map of the world hasn't changed much lately, but if this strategy continues, the 2027 school atlases might look a little different.