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Trump won’t rule out sending military to take Panama Canal and Greenland in rambling press conference: Live

President-elect held baffling and alarming press event at Mar-a-Lago, wandering from topic to topic and threatening allied nations

Oliver O'Connell,Joe Sommerlad,Katie Hawkinson
Tuesday 07 January 2025 19:16 GMT
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Trump says he won’t ‘commit’ to ruling out military force to reclaim Panama Canal

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Donald Trump gave a bizarre, rambling press conference at Mar-a-Lago on Tuesday.

Ostensibly arranged to announce new foreign investment in the US, the president-elect refused to rule out using military or economic coercion to take control of the Panama Canal or Greenland; railed against windmills, electric heaters, Canada, dishwashers, and the legal cases against him; and said he would rename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America.

Meanwhile, Trump’s lawyers are attempting to block the “imminent” release of a final report by Justice Department Special Counsel Jack Smith covering his classified documents and election interference cases against the president-elect.

Aileen Cannon, the judge in his classified documents case has temporarily blocked the release of the final report in that case.

Earlier, Trump pounced on Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announcing his resignation to post on the same platform: “Many people in Canada LOVE being the 51st State... Together, what a great Nation it would be!!!”

That came after Congress formally recognized his November election win over Kamala Harris and Judge Juan Merchan refused Trump’s latest attempt to delay the sentencing over his hush money conviction, currently scheduled for Friday.

Biden commuted 37 inmates’ death sentences. Why did two of them say no thanks?

Two death row inmates are refusing to sign paperwork accepting President Joe Biden’s commutation of their sentences to life in prison without the possibility of parole, according to NBC News.

Gustaf Kilander reports.

Biden commuted 37 inmates’ death sentences. Why two of them said no thanks

Two prisoners who insist they are innocent are worried the commutations could hinder their appeals

Oliver O'Connell7 January 2025 18:15

Watch: Marjorie Taylor Greene says she will lead bill to change name of Gulf of Mexico

Oliver O'Connell7 January 2025 18:05

Colorado governor has a different plan for Greenland

Colorado Governor Jared Polis — potentially a 2028 Democratic presidential candidate — has a different take on the Donald Trump’s expansionist plans for Greenland.

He wrote on X: “If it’s the choice of the people of Greenland to join the greatest country on earth, I would welcome them as our 53rd state, right after we admit Puerto Rico and Washington DC as states.”

Oliver O'Connell7 January 2025 18:00

Trump is reportedly complaining about Elon in private — and hates ‘President Musk’ joke

President-elect Donald Trump has been complaining about his “first buddy”Elon Musk behind closed doors, according to a reporter.

Trump and Musk have become close in recent months, with the tech billionaire reportedly staying at a cottage just a few hundred feet away from the main house at Mar-a-Lago. Trump also tapped Musk to co-head the newly created Department of Government Efficiency.

But there appears to be trouble in paradise, according to New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman.

Kelly Rissman has the story.

Trump reportedly complaining about Elon in private — and hates ‘President Musk’ joke

After months of getting close, the relationship between Trump and his so-called ‘first buddy’ has become ‘fraught,’ according to a New York Times reporter

Oliver O'Connell7 January 2025 17:50

Watch: Trump wraps up press conference reiterating ‘all hell is going to break loose’ if hostages aren’t released

Oliver O'Connell7 January 2025 17:45

BREAKING: Trump-appointed judge blocks Merrick Garland from releasing Jack Smith report

The judge overseeing Donald Trump’s classified documents case is blocking Attorney General Merrick Garland from releasing a report prepared by the prosecutor who led the federal criminal cases against the president-elect.

A stunning order from District Judge Aileen Cannon on Monday arrived hours after the former president and his co-defendants urged the courts to prevent special counsel Jack Smith from publishing a report that is expected to detail his investigations, which he effectively drew to a close following his presidential election victory.

Cannon — who was appointed to the bench by Trump in 2020 — is effectively ordering the Department of Justice to reject guidelines that put decisions about special counsel reports in the hands of the attorney general.

Alex Woodward reports.

Trump-appointed judge blocks Merrick Garland from releasing Jack Smith report

Judge Aileen Cannon temporarily prohibits Justice Department officials from releasing a final report on the prosecution of the president-elect

Oliver O'Connell7 January 2025 17:25

Donald Trump says he’s considering “economic force” to merge Canada and the US, calling the border an “artificial line”.

The president-elect told reporters at his press conference that the US spends too much to defend Canada and has a trade deficit.

He said the US shouldn’t buy cars or lumber from Canada.

Oliver O'Connell7 January 2025 17:23

Trump wants to change the name of Gulf of Mexico — no, really...

President-elect Donald Trump has said he wants to change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to something more American.

Trump was speaking at a press conference on Tuesday from Palm Beach, Florida when he made the remark.

Rhian Lubin reports.

Trump wants to change the name of Gulf of Mexico to something more American

Trump was speaking at a press conference on Tuesday from Palm Beach, Florida when he made the remark

Oliver O'Connell7 January 2025 17:21

Trump declined to rule out using force to take the Panama Canal or Greenland

Donald Trump just declined to rule out using the military to take Greenland and the Panama Canal.

The president-elect said in response to a question from a reporter during his Mar-a-Lago press conference: “I’m not going to commit to that. It might be that you’ll have to do something.”

Oliver O'Connell7 January 2025 17:02

Trump takes aim at Biden’s offshore drilling ban and again attacks Panama over canal

President-elect Donald Trump says he plans to reverse President Joe Biden’s executive order that protected more than 625 million acres of the ocean from offshore drilling. “It will be done immediately and we will, ‘Drill, baby, drill.’”

Trump also says the Panama Canal is a “disgrace” and Panama was “supposed to treat us well.”

Oliver O'Connell7 January 2025 17:00

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