If you believe President Trump, America is in an expansionist mood. Locations from Greenland to Gaza have been mentioned as potential new territories for American acquisition and stewardship. Is this merely talk, or can any of these areas be acquired or persuaded to change allegiance to become the 51st state?
The two most obvious candidates are the District of Columbia and the Territory of Puerto Rico. The problem with the District becoming the 51st state is that it was established by the U. S. Constitution. Thus, an amendment to the Constitution would be required to change its status.
Puerto Rico’s situation is political. There have been several plebiscites, one as recently as 2024, with statehood winning by a 58-42% margin. However, the straight-up Yes/No referendum of 2020, where statehood won 52-47, seems to be a better reflection of how Puerto Ricans feel. Since statehood could change the balance of power in Congress, and 60 votes would be required in the Senate, the chance of Puerto Rico becoming a state anytime soon is unlikely.
The Panama Canal and the territory bordering it, known as the Canal Zone, were controlled by the U.S. for nearly three quarters of a century beginning in 1903. Since the Canal Zone split Panama in two, it was often a source of contention. So in 1977, the Carter administration signed a treaty ceding the canal and the zone to Panama in 1999. Concerns about Chinese influence over the canal and Panama prompted President Trump to discuss re-establishing American authority over the Canal Zone. Since the Panamanian government is unlikely to give up control voluntarily, a military takeover would be required, and that is unlikely to happen.
Greenland is a large North American island recognized as part of the Kingdom of Denmark. Although it is about twenty-five percent larger than Alaska, most of it lies north of the Arctic Circle and is covered by a massive ice sheet. The present population is less than 60,000 inhabitants. They are citizens of both Denmark and the European Union. Denmark has repeatedly refused to sell Greenland to the U.S., and the locals do not seem enthusiastic about losing their Danish citizenship. A simple buyout of the land is possible, but only if Greenland becomes independent and the locals are willing to sell. Although a takeover in the name of national security has not been ruled out, the most likely outcome is a closer security arrangement.
Gaza is roughly 140 square miles of land along the Mediterranean Coast between Israel and Egypt. It is home to approximately two million inhabitants. Trump’s proposal to take over some or all of Gaza and rebuild it into a resort area hinges on moving the local population somewhere else. Unfortunately, no one wants them. There is talk about moving half the population to Libya, but even if that happens, chances of the U.S. annexing even a part of Gaza are slim.
Despite President Trump’s prompting, Canada will never become the 51st state. The suggestion appears to have come from his desire to irritate the previous Canadian prime minister, Justin Trudeau. Politically, a merger is not feasible.
Although Canada may not become the 51st state, the province of Alberta might. Thanks to its oil and gas industry, Alberta has more in common with the U.S. than the rest of Canada. Climate change policies from Canada’s Liberal government are a sore spot, as is the sharing of tax revenue among the provinces. These policies spawned a Wexit separatist movement that is just getting started. Call Alberta a no “for now.”
Although Cuba has not been mentioned as a potential 51st state, I believe that it should be on the list. Cuba is an island nation of between 9.7 million and 11.4 million inhabitants located ninety miles off the tip of Florida.
Cuba was visited by Christopher Columbus in 1492. In the early 1500s, it became a Spanish colony. In 1898, it was occupied by the U.S. military following the Spanish-American War. In 1902, Cuba became an independent nation heavily influenced by the United States. Following the revolution of 1959, Fidel Castro installed a Marxist government and turned toward the communist world.
Communist Cuba has never been able to support itself economically. This is partly due to economic sanctions applied by the U.S. and partly due to the failures of socialist economic planning. In 1991, when the Soviet Union was dissolved, Cuba lost most of its economic subsidies and around 80% of its foreign trade. That resulted in widespread unemployment, plus cutbacks in electrical generation and food production.
The island had a modest recovery until 2019, but things are now worse. In 2024, Cuba had just $1.3 billion in exports, down 24% from 2020. This helps explain why the average income is around $17 per month.
A 24-fold devaluation of the Cuban peso occurred in 2021, sparking an inflation rate between 174% and 700%. Inflation has declined thanks to the population’s inability to pay higher prices but is expected to run close to 28% in 2025. It is estimated that 89% of Cubans live in extreme poverty. Add political repression, plus the open border policies of the Biden administration, and this may explain why 850,000 Cuban immigrants entered the United States from 2022 to 2024.
Systemic failures are numerous. Due to a roughly $3-billion trade deficit, Cuba has little money to buy food, medicine, or spare parts or maintain its infrastructure. In the six months between October 2024 and March 2025, the national electric grid failed four times, leaving the country without electricity for stoves, lights, running water, hospital equipment, or refrigeration.
Agriculture is in decline due to a lack of gasoline, lubricants, fertilizer, and pesticides. Sugar production has declined by 85% since 2019, from 1.3 million metric tons to an estimate of only 200,000 metric tons in 2025. This is a level not seen since the late 19th century. In conjunction, the production of sugar-based alcohol used to make rum dropped by 70% during the same time, reducing Cuba’s ability to earn export dollars.
Why would the U. S. be interested in such a broken and mismanaged nation? Because it is broken and mismanaged. Because its people are beaten down and desperate and want hope. Because China will move in if we don’t. We can turn it into the jewel of the Caribbean. With a stable free-market economy, casinos, hotels, and all the support businesses would flock there. Money would flow in, agriculture would flourish, and food would be plentiful. Unlike in Gaza, no one has to move.
In the absence of a popular revolt, this would require military action. One obstacle is thought to be President Kennedy’s 1962 pledge not to invade Cuba in exchange for the removal of Soviet missiles from the island. However, he later recanted, using the Rio Pact as an excuse. So the agreement never became a signed treaty. The agreement was also made with the Soviet Union, a nation that no longer exists.
In response to Cuba’s economic plight, its president, Miguel Diaz-Canel, said, “We will make more Revolution and more Socialism.”
Perfect. Load up on that revolution, Miguel. I can see a flag with fifty-one stars waving on the horizon.
Featured Image via (top) Pixabay.
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