U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) recently backed several of President-elect Trump's more ambitious proposals, including renaming the Gulf of Mexico, taking over the Panama Canal, and possibly purchasing Greenland for the United States.
In recent weeks, Trump has made several bold proposals for the start of his second term. While the Senate gears up to confirm Trump's cabinet appointments, Trump himself is already addressing foreign policy and possible expansion of the United States.
Trump likely jokingly mentioned turning Canada into the 51st state. However, his later suggestions, like retaking the Panama Canal, seem more serious.
America initially gifted the canal to the government of Panama. However, in recent years, Tuberville and others have pointed to the canal as a national security risk due to massive Chinese influence and investment.
Likewise, Trump has flirted with renaming the Gulf of Mexico to "The Gulf of America" amid tariff threats. He also revived his first-term interest in acquiring the nation of Greenland for national security purposes.
While some have already criticized the move, many of Trump's staunchest allies have praised the proposals.
On Wednesday, Tuberville praised Trump's suggestions, specifically those regarding Panama, which Alabama's senior senator has been sounding the alarm over for years.
"I think it's great," Tuberville told reporters. "I think all these things that President Trump is bringing up before he takes office, of ideas, fresh ideas, new ideas that would possibly give new light to the United States for America," Tuberville said. "Obviously, he brought up Canada, about being the 51st state, us overtaking Greenland. By the way, we already have military bases in Greenland. It is a huge piece of property, obviously."
"It's all about national security," he added. "We're having huge problems with Mexico. The Mexico president is been out of control working with the cartels against the United States. Now we have a new president that's even worse in Mexico, that's even doing more damage with relations to the United States. They should be a huge partner in everything we do, but they're turning everything into socialism and communism in Mexico, along with the cartels. And so, President Trump is gonna do everything he possibly can to let them know there's a new sheriff in town. And he wants to do everything possible, even naming the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America because it really doesn't belong to anybody, but we can make it better."
Tuberville continued, "It goes to Panama, and I've been working with the president on this. I've been going down to Panama for for the last couple years, built relationships with the president and all of his cabinet. They want help from President Trump, and that's reason he's getting involved in the Panama Canal because it is a huge national security threat."
"The last [Panamanian] president wrote 28 contracts with the Chinese. They've almost taken up that entire area. This president has come in. He's canceled those contracts. He wants President Trump and [the] United States to come in and be a part of Panama to help them run the Panama Canal [and] make it safe. Can you imagine if and when we go to war with China, they close that Panama Canal? Anything coming from the East Coast would have to go 10,000 miles around the point of South America; that can't happen. That would be a national security threat. So, everything President Trump is doing is about national security and making us stronger against threats from outside our country," he concluded.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email craig.monger@1819news.com.
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