The Daily Beast: Leaks about Trump’s secret plan to acquire Canada
The Daily Beast newspaper website revealed that US President Donald Trump’s eyes have shifted to Canada, as a new target in his strategy to expand US influence and secure the Western Hemisphere.
The Daily Beast, in a report by its editor Laura Esposito, noted that this interest stems from Trump’s deep concern about what he describes as the weakening of Canadian defenses in the Arctic, which could open the door to penetration by US adversaries, particularly Russia and China.
The Daily Beast website quoted Stephen Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff, as saying on Saturday that the law does not give countries the right to keep their territory if they are unable to defend it, and the Trump aide disparaged the Danish government and its military, which he described as small.
He said the developments came as Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Friday, a reference to efforts to deepen ties between the two countries.
Carney became the first Canadian leader to visit China since 2017.
The report identified the following key points that Trump aides make as rational motives for acquiring Canada:
First, the Arctic gap: Trump sees Canada’s northern border as an unacceptable security vulnerability in the face of modern threats.
Second, military and logistical action: There are proposals within the Trump administration to increase US naval patrols and purchase additional icebreakers to operate in or around Canadian waters.
In this regard, the Daily Beast quoted a US official as saying to NBC, “Ultimately, the goal of this is to prevent Russia and China from strengthening their presence in the Arctic”.
Third, linking Canada and Greenland: Trump’s aides argue that an acquisition of Greenland would enhance the security of the entire region, including Canada.
Fourth, the ability to defend logic: The White House is adopting a controversial rhetoric that countries that cannot defend or improve their territories do not have full sovereignty over them, a logic that has been used to justify pressure on Denmark on Greenland and now on Canada.
With an area of 3.85 million square miles and a population of 40 million, Canada is the biggest target on Trump’s growing list of potential land grabs.
The Daily Beast said it had reached out to the White House and Carney’s representatives for comment, but to no avail so far.
