Yes, the president-elect really is serious about expanding the U.S. But what he mostly wants is to bully small countries that won’t fight back.

While Trump has cited “national security” reasons for wanting to acquire the island inhabited by about 56,000 people, there’s another big appeal that he’s been leaving out of his press conferences. Greenland is a treasure trove of minerals the U.S. needs to compete with China, and the island hasn’t been quick (enough) to fork them over.

President-elect Donald J. Trump refused on Tuesday to rule out the use of military or economic coercion to force Panama to give up control of the canal that America built more than a century ago and to push Denmark to sell Greenland to the United States.

Donald Trump’s imperialist designs on Greenland, Canada and Panama often sound like the ramblings of a chaos agent who views geopolitics and global trade like a real estate shark chasing new leads.

President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday said he would not rule out the use of military force to seize control of the Panama Canal and Greenland, as he declared U.S. control of both to be vital to American national security.

Fox News contributor Michael Pillsbury reacts to President-elect Donald Trump eyeing control of Canada, Panama Canal and Greenland on 'Fox & Friends.'

Múte Egede, Greenland’s prime minister, said his country would pursue closer defense and business ties to U.S.