Trump’s bold claims: Greenland, gas heaters, and Gulf of Mexico renaming among highlights from press conference

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President-elect Donald Trump made headlines with a series of claims and statements during a news conference on Tuesday, less than two weeks before his return to the White House.

Here are five takeaways from his wide-ranging remarks at his Florida resort:

America First is expansive

During the 2024 election campaign, Trump often spoke of continuing to focus on domestic issues and avoiding international entanglements.

But on Tuesday, Trump indicated he was serious about expanding U.S. territory. He said taking over Greenland and taking back control of the Panama Canal was in America's national security interests, and he refused to rule out military force or economic pressure to achieve either.

At one point he described the border with Canada as an “artificially drawn line” and suggested that the country would be better off if it simply gave up its sovereignty and became part of the United States – statements that quickly caused anger in Ottawa.

It's not always clear whether Trump is willing to back up some of his more outlandish claims with action, but his comments have certainly alarmed governments around the world who fear that the U.S. under Trump may act impulsively on foreign policy matters.

Trump needs opponents

Trump always needs opponents to take action against – even if they are allies.

In addition to trolling Canada, the new Republican president lashed out at the government of Panama, accusing it of overcharging U.S. cargo ships passing through the Panama Canal.

He called Mexico a “very dangerous place” and said he would change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.

As for Denmark, he said its claim to Greenland was illegitimate, even though it had been part of the Danish state for more than 200 years. “People really don't even know if Denmark has a legal right, but if they have it, they should give it up because we need it for national security,” he said.

Things are bad even when they aren't

When Trump won the White House, he exploited voters' concerns about the state of the U.S. economy, particularly inflation.

On Tuesday, it continued to paint a bleak picture, despite numerous indicators suggesting that the economy is indeed strong.

“We inherit a difficult situation from the outgoing administration,” Trump said.

Consumers are still struggling with the costs of food, insurance, housing and credit. On the other hand, unemployment remains at a record low, wages are rising, the stock market is booming and domestic energy production is at its peak.

But Trump admitting the positives would lay the foundation for assessing his own performance if the economy loses momentum during his term, which begins Jan. 20. It's better to tell Americans things are bad now, before he takes office.

Deep sympathy for the rioters on January 6th

Trump has pledged to pardon many of his supporters who took part in the attack on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021. On Tuesday he expressed his deep sympathy for the defendants.

When asked whether he would consider pardoning violent criminals, Trump falsely claimed that only one person, protester Ashli ​​Babbitt, was killed that day, although three others in the crowd lost their lives.

Without evidence, he suspected that the FBI may have sent agents among the protesters. And he repeated an argument that supporters of the defendants had made: If those who stormed the building had wanted a riot, they would have brought weapons. But prosecutors accused some protesters of having weapons on Capitol grounds.

At one point, Trump complained that some defendants had been prosecuted who “didn’t even enter the building.” That may have been a reference to former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio, who is serving a 22-year prison sentence for leading the attack on the Capitol from a remote location. Tarrio asked Trump on Monday to apologize fully for his actions.

Wet and wild

Trump wouldn't be Trump without tangents. He rambled at length about the Biden administration's push to ban gas water heaters, which he apparently confused with gas space heaters.

Gas, he said, provides “much better heat.” As the saying goes, you don't itch. Does anyone have a heater where you go and scratch?” he said.

That led to Trump complaining about low-flow faucets and showerheads and saying that the Biden administration was irrationally trying to conserve water even in water-abundant regions.

“They call it rain, it … comes from the sky,” Trump said. “There is no water coming out of the shower. It drips, drips, drips. So what happens? You spend ten times as long in the shower.”

Later, Trump returned to a favorite target: windmills. “Nobody wants them,” Trump said, adding that he believes the coastal turbines are driving whales to kill themselves.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says there are no known links between large whale deaths and ongoing offshore wind activity.

“The windmills are driving the whales crazy,” the president-elect said. —Reuters