On Jan. 7, 2025, Donald Trump refused to rule out military coercion against Panama and Greenland. On Canada, Trump postulated, “(G)et rid of that artificially drawn line … (it’s better for national security.” That night, Trump posted an image of the U.S. flag emblazoned across the U.S. and Canada.
Does Trump intend to acquire new territory? Does he want to look unpredictable? He may be distracting us from his other challenges. He may want to portray us as a brash nation, not ashamed to threaten allies. He may be seeking influence in our hemisphere. He may be keeping political opponents off balance and cementing political allies’ loyalties, pushing them to advocate positions contrary to our reputation for loyalty. He may be rattling the saber, aiming to shore up the nation’s defenses and economic vulnerabilities. He may be laying a foundation for tariffs.
Should Trump turn the U.S. into an aggressor country? Does looking tough or unpredictable justify creating antagonism with our neighbors? Should the U.S. brag like a sports player? Should world leaders spook their allies, because they want to exercise control over fellow partisans? Should our leader seek economic leverage over Canada, expressing readiness to wage war against others?
Military noise to intimidate neighbors with economic and security resources is not a legitimate form of negotiation or diplomacy.
The U.S. has acquired some degree of moral stature over the years. Trump’s words threaten our country by undermining its position as a fair player on the world stage.
Thomas Kelly
Brunswick
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Join the Conversation
We believe it’s important to offer commenting on certain stories as a benefit to our readers. At its best, our comments sections can be a productive platform for readers to engage with our journalism, offer thoughts on coverage and issues, and drive conversation in a respectful, solutions-based way. It’s a form of open discourse that can be useful to our community, public officials, journalists and others. Read more...
We do not enable comments on everything — exceptions include most crime stories, and coverage involving personal tragedy or sensitive issues that invite personal attacks instead of thoughtful discussion.
For those stories that we do enable discussion, our system may hold up comments pending the approval of a moderator for several reasons, including possible violation of our guidelines. As the Maine Trust’s digital team reviews these comments, we ask for patience.
Comments are managed by our staff during regular business hours Monday through Friday and limited hours on Saturday and Sunday. Comments held for moderation outside of those hours may take longer to approve.
By joining the conversation, you are agreeing to our commenting policy and terms of use. More information is found on our FAQs.
You can modify your screen name here.
Show less
Join the Conversation
Please sign into your Press Herald account to participate in conversations below. If you do not have an account, you can register or subscribe. Questions? Please see our FAQs.