Plan to make America bigger than ever: a demand for respect

More significantly, a year after his inauguration in 1897, McKinley declared war on the by then decaying Spanish empire, acquiring Puerto Rico, Guam and the Philippines for the U.S.

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McKinley also formally annexed Hawaii to the U.S. He made the decisive moves to develop what subsequently became the Panama Canal. And when McKinley dispatched American troops to fight the Boxer Rebellion in China in June 1900, he did so without prior approval from the U.S. Congress, setting a precedent for subsequent U.S. presidents.

An anarchist assassinated McKinley in 1901, an episode which also resonates with Mr. Trump, who was deeply affected by surviving his assassination attempt. But, ultimately, it's McKinley's imperialist instinct that Mr. Trump wants to emulate.

When McKinley annexed Hawaii, he explained to his closest adviser that the U.S. "needs Hawaii just as much and a good deal more than we did California." "It is manifest destiny," he added.

Mr. Trump used precisely the same words in his inauguration speech this week. The repetition is intentional: President Trump wants to become the first U.S. leader since McKinley to preside over a significant expansion of U.S. territory. His recent comments targeting Canada, Greenland and the Panama Canal should all be seen in this light.

CANADA, GREENLAND AND PANAMA CANAL

How seriously should we take such Trumpian objectives?

At first glance, Mr. Trump's dreams of territorial aggrandizement appear ridiculous. Still, their long-term implications can be profound on how the U.S. proposes to conduct its foreign and security policies.

It's worth noting that although Mr. Trump covets all three territories, he proposes to lay his hands on each one differently.

The Canadians, he believes, should be persuaded to join the U.S. by being "Americanized," presumably through economic inducements. Meanwhile, Greenland should be purchased outright from Denmark, the current owner of this bit of real estate. Only the Panama Canal can be taken by force, should the locals refuse to "hand it back" as Mr. Trump puts it.