A day after a venturous U.S. military operation in Venezuela, President Donald Trump renewed calls Sunday for an American takeover of Greenland on national security grounds, threatened military action against Colombia over cocaine trafficking, and warned through his top diplomat that Cuba’s communist government was "in a lot of trouble."
The comments from Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio after the ouster of Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro underscore that the U.S. administration is serious about taking a more expansive role in the Western Hemisphere.
With thinly veiled threats, Trump is rattling hemispheric friends and foes alike, spurring a pointed question around the globe: Who's next?
"It’s so strategic right now. Greenland is covered with Russian and Chinese ships all over the place," Trump told reporters as he flew back to Washington from his home in Florida. "We need Greenland from the standpoint of national security, and Denmark is not going to be able to do it."
Asked during an interview with The Atlantic earlier Sunday what the U.S. military action in Venezuela could portend for Greenland, Trump replied: "They are going to have to view it themselves. I really don’t know."
