Presidential nominees who will require Senate confirmation for diplomatic positions that have historically flown under the radar may soon find themselves thrust into the spotlight. With President-elect Donald Trump floating aggressive desires to acquire foreign territories like the Panama Canal,

Trump again having designs on Greenland comes after the president-elect suggested over the weekend that the U.S. could retake control of the Panama Canal if something isn't done to ease rising shipping costs required for using the waterway linking the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

It's unclear how the issue of ownership of the Panama Canal became a talking point for President-elect Donald Trump this week, but the question has a long political history.