He’s not forgotten about his claims to take it
Just when it seemed Donald Trump’s attention had been consumed by his usual whirlwind of controversies and headline-chasing declarations, the U.S. President has reignited one of his more audacious pursuits—with renewed ferocity.
Trump has now escalated matters by delivering a pointed military warning to Greenland, the icy expanse he’s long had his eye on. Since reclaiming the Oval Office, he’s pushed with unrelenting resolve for American expansion into the Danish autonomous territory—an ambition met with frosty resistance from the local populace.
His administration’s overtures haven’t exactly thawed relations either. Vice President JD Vance’s earlier foray into Greenlandic soil was met with cold shoulders and colder stares, drawing condemnation for what many viewed as tone-deaf diplomacy.
Trump, undeterred, continues to cloak his interest in the language of global harmony—claiming that U.S. acquisition of the territory is essential for “international security” and the preservation of “world peace.” Yet, his latest rhetoric strikes a more bellicose chord, veering sharply from peaceful intentions.
In a statement that raised more than a few brows, Trump declared that America “needs Greenland very badly,” a remark charged with imperial overtones that hint less at cooperation and more at coercion. As tensions tighten and rhetoric sharpens, Trump’s Greenland gambit seems less like strategic policy and more like a geopolitical gamble—one with icy consequences.
Most of Greenland are against the idea. (Ahmet Gurhan Kartal/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Officials in both Denmark and Greenland have made no secret of their disdain for the notion of the United States claiming the Arctic territory. Yet, despite firm opposition, Donald Trump appears unfazed.
In a pointed exchange on NBC’s Meet The Press on May 4, Trump was asked directly whether he would consider deploying military force to seize Greenland. His response was as loaded as it was ambiguous: “I don’t rule it out,” he said. “I’m not saying I’ll do it—but I don’t rule out anything. No, not there. We need Greenland very badly. Greenland is a very small amount of people, which we’ll take care of, and we’ll cherish them, and all of that.”
He punctuated the sentiment with his familiar justification: “But we need that for international security.”
The wide-ranging interview aired just one week after Trump marked his first 100 days back in office and delved into the controversial contours of his renewed presidency.
Among the more eyebrow-raising revelations was a revisit to Trump’s previous musings about absorbing Canada into the Union. In the waning days of last year—before taking the oath once more—Trump floated the jaw-dropping proposition of transforming Canada into the 51st U.S. state.
When pressed again by host Kristen Welker on whether force would be part of that plan, Trump backpedaled slightly, admitting that military action wouldn’t be “best right now.”
Still, his statements underscore a broader message: borders, to Trump, are negotiable—and perhaps expendable—when weighed against his vision of American supremacy cloaked in the rhetoric of “security.”
He wouldn’t be against using military force to take Greenland. (JEFF KOWALSKY/AFP via Getty Images)
“Well, I don’t think we’ll ever get to that point. It could happen. Something could happen with Greenland. I’ll be honest, we need that for national and international security,” Trump remarked, with his characteristic blend of ambiguity and bluntness.
Pressed by NBC’s Kristen Welker on whether similar ambitions applied to Canada, Trump was swift and dismissive: “It’s highly unlikely. I don’t see it with Canada. I just don’t see it, I have to be honest with you.”
Despite overwhelming resistance from the north—where Prime Minister Mark Carney and roughly 90 percent of Canadians reject any notion of integration—Trump, undeterred, insisted he’s always willing to entertain the conversation.
“I’ll always talk about that. You know why? We subsidize Canada to the tune of $200 billion a year,” he claimed. “We don’t need their cars. In fact, we don’t want their cars. We don’t need their energy. We don’t even want their energy. We have more than they do. We don’t want their lumber. We have great lumber. All I have to do is free it up from the environmental lunatics.”
His tone, laced with nationalistic bravado, paints a clear picture: Trump sees the U.S. not as a negotiating partner, but as a self-sufficient powerhouse encumbered by alliances he deems one-sided. Greenland, in his view, is a strategic jewel worth the political frostbite—Canada, merely a reluctant neighbor with little he desires.
Featured Image Credit: NBC