Leading up to his second term as President, he has set tongues wagging in embassies around the globe.
to secure it.
The Panamanian government is upset at the proposal that it should hand over the canal, which was constructed by the Americans but was sold to the central American country in 1999.
Some argue that Mr Trump's comment doesn't warrant a response. He does, after all, have a number of compulsions that have never materialised into policy initiatives.
Behind the diplomatic rhetoric the president-elect was making a genuinely serious point.
Expanding American territory would be one way to counter its increasing global influence.
In a press conference on Tuesday, Mr Trump stated that his main reason for pursuing Greenland was "national security".
The Pentagon's latest Arctic strategy, published quite recently, has highlighted China's growing interest in the Arctic region.
As the ice cap melts, the Arctic will turn into a significant sea route, and Chinese ships have been observed in naval drills with Russia off the coast of Alaska.
A Trump team source quoted in the New York Post said the aim of the Greenland expansion was to send a “strong, deliberate message to Beijing” that America will protect its interests in the Arctic, even if it means annoying Europe.
and posed with residents wearing "Make America Great Again" (MAGA) hats, leading to his dad saying: "I'm hearing that the people of Greenland are MAGA."
Mr Trump was explicit about the role of China in Panama, saying that Beijing-flagged ships were at “both ends” of the canal and required a counter from US forces.
That assertion has been disputed by experts, who say there is no proof China has a sizeable military presence at this key waterway – one of the globe's most significant shipping routes.
"Following the US, China ranks as one of the biggest users of the canal and has sought to improve diplomatic relations with Panama over recent years."
The island has been identified as a part of the Chinese mainland – a significant sign that the country is drawing closer to Beijing and growing more distant from Washington.
That will be a concern for UK policymakers, who are particularly sensitive to China's ability to jeopardise British economic interests.
Over the past couple of years, the number of cyber attacks on critical national infrastructure in the United States sanctioned by China has risen sharply, and Beijing's Belt and Road Initiative has threatened the UK's influence in Africa.
It is probable that Mr Trump's forceful stance on Tuesday was an attempt at political showmanship, and that he has no intention of seizing any territory by military action.
The diplomatic repercussions of that strategy would be severe – and it would only push intermediary countries towards China out of fear of facing a similar outcome.
But the intended audience of the incoming president's words was not Greenland, Panama, or even European allies themselves.
Mr Trump was referring obliquely to the Chinese Communist Party, which he perceives as having become more confident under Joe Biden's administration.
Leaving aside the president-elect's flair for the dramatic, the message is quite clear: the United States is unlikely to relinquish its leading status without a struggle, and if territorial expansion is necessary, then it will take it.
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