President Donald Trump is preparing to address perceived Chinese influence in Canada as his “Donroe Doctrine” for the Western Hemisphere expands, according to former campaign architect Steve Bannon.
Expanding the ‘Donroe Doctrine’
“The next big thing is going to be Canada. Canada is the next Ukraine because they can’t defend their northern arctic border and China is going to come take a bite,” Bannon said. “They can’t defend it and Trump is going to come in hard on Canada.”
During his first term, Trump formed an Arctic working group that focused on the geo-strategic importance of Greenland and highlighted Canada’s Arctic vulnerabilities.
The president has expressed long-standing concerns about China’s actions in the Arctic, particularly after China declared itself a “near-arctic state” in 2018, former White House officials said.
Canada’s growing ties with China have also raised concerns about the existing relationship with the United States.
Canadian Prime Minister’s Visit to China
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney recently visited China for the first time in nearly a decade, describing Chinese President Xi Jinping and China as “strategic partners.”
“I believe the progress we have made and the partnership sets us up well for the new world order,” Carney said.
Carney also aligned with Danish and NATO allies against President Trump’s interest in acquiring Greenland, stating that President Xi “found much alignment of views” regarding American interests on the island.
Carney’s comments raised concerns within the Trump administration, given the president’s well-known skepticism of foreign activity in the Western Hemisphere.
Trump has signaled a renewed desire to acquire Greenland, primarily to prevent Russia and China from gaining a foothold in the strategically important region.
Venezuela Operation and Historical Context
The recent operation in Venezuela, which led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, has prompted a global reassessment of Trump’s commitment to the Monroe Doctrine.
“The Monroe Doctrine is a big deal, but we’ve superseded it by a lot, by a real lot. They now call it the Donroe doctrine,” Trump said to reporters following the mission.
The 200-year-old Monroe Doctrine was originally articulated by President James Monroe, along with his Secretary of War John C. Calhoun and Secretary of State John Quincy Adams, to reaffirm America’s position in the Western Hemisphere.
“It was very important, but we forgot about it. We don’t forget about it anymore,” Trump told reporters after the mission in Venezuela. “Under our new national security strategy, American dominance in the Western Hemisphere will never be questioned again.”
The “Donroe Doctrine” extends this principle to actively defend the entire Western Hemisphere against encroachment from Russia and China.
The ‘Trump Corollary’ and National Security Strategy
During a press conference, Trump also articulated the “Trump Corollary” to the Monroe Doctrine, drawing parallels to Theodore Roosevelt’s 1905 corollary emphasizing the importance of U.S. order in the Western Hemisphere.
The White House National Security Strategy, published in November, outlines the “Trump corollary” as a decision to prevent “non-Hemispheric competitors the ability to position forces or other threatening abilities” within the hemisphere.
The document emphasizes the expectation that Western Hemisphere leaders will prioritize the United States as their primary partner, while subtly indicating a willingness to “discourage their collaboration with others.”
The Venezuela mission provided a demonstration of the “various means” the United States is prepared to employ to foster a more favorable climate for American interests.
China has also made significant investments in Latin America, including energy companies in Brazil and Chile. The United States, under Trump’s direction, continues to restrict oil exports from Venezuela, much of which were previously purchased by China.
Approach and Key Players
While Theodore Roosevelt advocated for “speaking softly and carrying a big stick,” Trump’s approach is described as “float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.”
Experts identified Michael Anton, the State Department’s former director of policy planning staff, Arthur Milikh, Principal Deputy Director at the State Department, and White House Senior Policy Advisor Kara Frederick as key contributors to the document.
The influence of White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller was also noted.
“Miller’s been with the president since the very beginning, I think that counts for a lot in terms of loyalty and proximity,” said James Wallner, a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for American Innovation.
Wallner, a former legislative director for Sen. Jeff Sessions, collaborated with Stephen Miller on Capitol Hill.
While Miller has long-held foreign policy views, some of Trump’s positions were unique and have been formative to his administration.
Trump has embraced Reagan’s motto of “Peace Through Strength,” coupled with a willingness to use military force and other means to advance his vision for the Western Hemisphere.
“Trump is very much his own president, he’s also a larger than life force with his own goals,” Wallner said.
Trump’s vision for the Western Hemisphere has garnered praise from Republicans in the Senate, who support his focus on American interests in foreign policy.
“With the ‘Donroe Doctrine,’ President Trump is reviving a principle that has been foundational to America’s foreign policy for nearly our entire history, except for the last 30 years: the United States has both the right and the duty to secure our own hemisphere,” Senator Eric Schmitt of Missouri told the Daily Mail. “Under President Trump, America is acting like the superpower we are—no longer apologizing for enforcing policies that make our country safer, stronger, and more prosperous.”
Discover more from Archyworldys
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
