Disturbing appearance in Florida Trump announces "golden age" - and threatens military action
Trump enjoys the spotlight. And so a press conference at his estate in Florida turns into a media spectacle, with the Republican not holding back with threats.
08.01.2025, 06:20
08.01.2025, 09:34
dpa
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- With a sensational press conference, US President-elect Donald Trump has caused an uproar with various statements on international politics.
- In some incoherent statements, the Republican did not rule out using the US military to gain control of the Panama Canal or Greenland, for example.
- He also called on NATO member states to increase their defense spending to five percent of their gross domestic product (GDP).
Around the world in around 70 minutes: with a sensational press conference, future US President Donald Trump caused an uproar with various statements on international politics. For example, the Republican did not rule out using the US military to gain control of the Panama Canal or Greenland and called on NATO member states to increase their defense spending to five percent of their gross domestic product (GDP). It is unlikely to have been Trump's last appearance of this kind before his return to the White House. "We will do this again," he announced.
Looking ahead to his term in office, which will begin on January 20, the 78-year-old promised at his Mar-a-Lago estate: "I'm telling you that this will be the golden age of America." The world would finally show respect for the USA again as soon as he moved back into the White House. It was the second press conference of this kind since Trump's election victory in November. The Republican last faced questions from the press at a similar appearance in December. The current US President Joe Biden has largely avoided such press conferences and has hardly answered any questions from journalists in recent months.
Trump enjoys appearing in front of the press
Trump, on the other hand, enjoys appearing in front of the media - and answers more rather than fewer questions. As much as he regularly berates the press, he also seeks their proximity. Trump is known for making drastic announcements in long monologues or confused press conferences in addition to all kinds of incoherent statements. This was already the case during his first term in office. During the election campaign, he sometimes spoke for two hours at events - often losing his train of thought or lying. At the same time, however, he made headlines with some of his statements.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has already responded to Trump's threat to put Canada under pressure with economic constraints in order to possibly even unite the northern neighboring country with the USA. "The likelihood of Canada becoming part of the United States is less than a snowball in hell," wrote Trudeau, who announced his resignation on Monday. Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly let it be known: "Our economy is strong. Our people are strong. We will never back down from threats."
Trump then published a graphic of a map on his online mouthpiece - showing the USA and Canada, filled in with a US flag. He also wrote: "Oh Canada!" - probably alluding to the country's national anthem with the English title "O Canada".
Trump ally plans draft law
Trump's announcement that he wanted to rename the Gulf of Mexico the "Gulf of America" was also well received. According to the media, Trump ally and MP Marjorie Taylor Greene said in a podcast that she had instructed her staff to "draft a bill immediately". According to this, US federal authorities could be instructed to only use the name "Gulf of America" in future. Although the chances of such a bill succeeding are not particularly high, such a requirement is not out of the question.
The name Gulf of Mexico has been in use for the gulf on the south coast of the USA since the 16th century. The body of water borders not only the US states of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida, but also Mexico and Cuba. A proper renaming would therefore require diplomatic negotiations with these states and would also entail significant adjustments to maps, international treaties and scientific documents.
Capitol storm: Trump holds out the prospect of pardons
During the press conference, Trump also commented on domestic policy issues and did not rule out the possibility of pardoning supporters who took part in the violent storming of the US Capitol on 6 January 2021 and were convicted as a result. "People who did bad things were not prosecuted, and people who didn't even enter the building are now in prison," he criticized. "So we will look at the whole thing. But I'm going to do big pardons, yes."
Trump wants more water
The Republican also spoke in a long and rambling speech about water-saving measures. "No water is coming out of the shower. It's dripping, dripping, dripping. So what happens: You stand in the shower ten times as long," he said. Or, "You want very little water to come out of the washing machine. So when you wash your clothes, you have to wash them four times instead of once, using more water." No water would come out of new taps either.
It is unclear exactly what Trump was referring to - in principle, the statements are likely to be criticism of environmental protection regulations. During his first term in office, Trump had already complained about low water pressure in shower heads, for example, and the underlying regulations. Several states in the USA are suffering from water shortages. In the southwest of the USA, for example, the states of Arizona and Nevada regularly have to deal with water cuts.