Donald Trump got a taste of foreign invasion, and he liked it.
The self-proclaimed peace president is now doubling down on his assertion that the United States’ invasion of Venezuela and abduction of President Nicolás Maduro marks the beginning of a broader military campaign.
The 79-year-old shared a glimpse of his expanding wishlist of countries with reporters on Sunday morning—while continuing to gloat over the United States’ abrupt takeover of Venezuela the day before.
“We do need Greenland, absolutely,” Trump cheerfully told The Atlantic from his golf club in West Palm Beach, Florida. He went on to describe the island—an autonomous territory within NATO ally Denmark—as “surrounded by Russian and Chinese ships.”
“We need it for defense,” he added.
Trump’s comments came as administration officials told the outlet Zeteo that the president remains “very interested” in sending U.S. troops into Mexico, another American ally, to target cartel members. Trump broached the possibility as recently as November, according to the report, asking when such an order could be given and how long it would take to deploy boots on the ground.
On Saturday, Trump also floated the possibility of military action against Colombia—Venezuela’s western neighbor—while speaking from his Mar-a-Lago club, singling out President Gustavo Petro.
“He has factories where he makes cocaine,” Trump said. “He does have to watch his a–.”
Trump separately threatened Mexico, claiming the country is run by drug cartels and echoing similar accusations he has previously leveled against Maduro and the Venezuelan government.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio escalated the rhetoric during a late-morning press conference Saturday, naming Cuba as another potential target and blaming the island nation for many of Venezuela’s problems. Rubio’s parents fled Cuba for the United States in 1956.
“If I lived in Havana and I was in the government, I’d be concerned at least a little bit,” Rubio said. “When he tells you that he’s going to do something, when he tells you he’s going to address a problem, he means it,” he added.
Trump, who campaigned on a vow to end “endless wars” and bring American troops home, has faced fierce opposition over such threats following the abduction of Maduro and his extradition to New York.
Denmark, meanwhile, has remained firmly opposed to any U.S. effort to seize control of Greenland, the world’s largest island, located northeast of Canada. Ambassador Jesper Moeller Soerensen reaffirmed that stance in a Saturday evening X post, stating that the country expects “full respect for the territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark.”
The Cuban government issued a statement Saturday night, warning that “all nations of the region must remain alert, as the threat hangs over all.”
The Daily Beast has reached out to the White House for comment.
