Washington Politics
On Greenland, Trump wants to be like Polk
The president's motivation isn't security or money, it's manifest destiny
January 17, 2026
The president's motivation isn't security or money, it's manifest destiny
Now that the president has identified the problem, lawmakers have a real opportunity to follow through
It would take major systematic changes both commercially and in the government, and it's unclear whether any of that is in the works yet
The consequences will be negative, from shattering the order it claims to defend all the way up to a possible nuclear confrontation
Chancellor Merz predicts the demise of the regime, but it's just more performative rhetoric, not strategy, and helps no one
Experts say the 'easy' Venezuela operation is reminiscent of George H.W. Bush's 1989 invasion of Panama, which in part served to bury the ghosts of Vietnam
