Commentary

It’s common knowledge that President Donald Trump expresses original, off-the-wall statements in pressers and speeches. To some folks, this comes as a shock, although it’s a common occurrence.

Oftentimes, Trump’s ideas stun both members of Congress and foreign leaders. Why does he come up with so many out-of-the-box ideas? There likely is solid reasoning behind these zingers, although not all of the ideas pan out.

First, Trump has declared that our northern neighbor Canada could become the 51st state. However, Puerto Rico likely has a better chance at statehood than Canada does. In other words, “that dog won’t hunt,” as evidenced by the opposition from Canadians, their premiers, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The president appears to be applying pressure to Canada to pick up the slack in reducing drug trafficking entering the United States and urging reciprocal fair trade with the United States, which would obviate the need for tariffs.

Second, the president has stated that he would like to help rebuild the Gaza Strip and transform it into a prosperous and secure center of business. Most are aware that the United States might only play a small part in the process. Trump may have floated this idea to persuade Arab leaders in the region to play a larger role in Gaza’s reconstruction and stability. Several Arab leaders claim to care about the Palestinian cause, so they can back up this claim by taking in more Palestinians and helping to rebuild Gaza with their know-how and wealth.

Third, it is also highly unlikely that Greenland will become part of the United States, as Trump would like, although plenty of Greenlanders aren’t satisfied with how Denmark treats them. Trump wants to exert more influence over Greenland to bolster the security umbrella that stretches from Alaska all the way over the Arctic to Greenland. A greater U.S. presence could help mitigate the malign activities of the Chinese regime and Russia in the Arctic region.

Fourth, the president has threatened Mexico with tariffs if the government doesn’t help to halt lawless migration with its attendant drugs and human trafficking into the United States. President Claudia Sheinbaum responded by deploying Mexican National Guard troops to key areas of the U.S.–Mexico border, and Mexico is helping to return illegal immigrants to some Central American nations.

Fifth, Trump used similar threats regarding Panama. He stated that if the country failed to push back against Chinese regime influence and charge fair prices for marine vessel transits, he would take over canal operations. Panamanian President José Mulino has been open to these demands. The country has agreed not to renew its Belt and Road Initiative agreement with the Chinese regime because of the regime’s undue port influence on both sides of the canal. Apparently, Mulino will also help shut down the lawless migrant hub known as the Darién Gap.

Sixth, common sense informs us that Trump won’t halt the Russia–Ukraine war as quickly as he predicted. Based on historical precedent, wars are difficult to unwind. He’s likely throwing out ideas to see which ones will stick in bringing Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the bargaining table. It will take a determined effort by multiple stakeholders to trigger a cessation of hostilities and generate a treaty that satisfies the warring parties, knowing that neither side will get everything it wants. However, it would be wise to include NATO partners and Ukraine in the negotiating process.

Seventh, the president has threatened a number of Asian, European, and Latin American nations with reciprocal tariffs if they don’t shoulder more of the heavy lifting in practicing fair and free trade. Indeed, most nations that trade with the United States charge more tariffs on incoming U.S. goods than we charge on their products entering our country. If these countries desire reciprocal trade, any tariffs on either end need to be equal across the board, according to Trump’s reasoning. Ideally, retaliatory measures would be unnecessary if the pricing of goods were fair to all parties.

Eighth, the president has also used the threat of decoupling trade and other sanctions on an array of additional countries that have done little to stem the flow of lawless migrants into the United States. Sanctions can include withholding foreign aid and sanctioning certain industries that have branch plants in the United States. In some cases, these threats have led to greater compliance in matters that affect mutual prosperity and security.

Finally, as a businessman, Trump uses arm-twisting and persuasion to bargain and create deals that emphasize the United States’ national interest over that of other nations. He’s not hesitant to discuss controversial and innovative ideas in both domestic and foreign policy spheres. He will also turn on a dime when a concept doesn’t work and a better solution emerges.

Wielding a chainsaw or sledgehammer to bloated federal agencies is required to inform the public regarding the staggering abuse, fraud, and waste in these agencies. Trump believes that streamlining the government with the assistance of the Department of Government Efficiency team will enhance the national interest, ignite the economy, reduce the debt, and save taxpayers billions of dollars. Indeed, there is a method to the “madness.”