President Donald Trump posted an image on Truth Social on Monday showing a map where the United States covered all of continental North America and Greenland, the latest in a string of provocative posts with imperial undertones as the U.S. continues its trade war with Canada. The image provoked a backlash from critics. Conservative backers of the president celebrated the post, which followed a weekend of messages that included the Republican suggesting the Strait of Hormuz was new U.S. territory and New Mexico would be renamed to New America.
The president has posted similar images before, in an apparent attempt to troll critics and rivals, but his White House has also taken moves to reshape the map, at least from a U.S. perspective. Last week, amid the U.S. trade war with Canada, the president renamed Lake Ontario on U.S. maps to Lake America. Last year, he renamed the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.
Beyond the social media provocations and the changes to U.S. place names, the Trump administration has pursued a far more maximal, imperialist foreign policy than the first Trump administration or the campaign promises of Donald Trump would have suggested, given his repeated criticisms of foreign entanglements. The U.S. has pursued a war with Iran, deposed the leader of Venezuela and taken over its oil industry, attacked alleged drug boats throughout the Caribbean, threatened to invade Greenland, a NATO ally, and levied strong economic pressure on Cuba with an eye towards toppling its communist regime. The stance has led to blowback and concern from traditional U.S. allies.
Canada has responded in kind to U.S. trade war measures and has spoken of how the present, U.S.-dominated international order is coming to an end and is “not coming back,” suggesting the need for new alliances. In the face of U.S. aggression, Denmark reportedly drew up military plans to defend Greenland. The president’s increasingly unconstrained style may be threatening his party’s chances in the 2026 midterms, according to recent polling.
Research by The Financial Times/Focaldata found that 46 percent of people felt Trump’s record in the White House was making it “harder” for conservatives to win in November, including 30 percent of Republican voters. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
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