Trump's Greenland threats leave allies sweating: How we got here
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President Trump departs after speaking during a House Republican retreat on Jan. 6 in Washington, DC. Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images
President Trump has long discussed taking over Greenland, and under his second term, he's leaving a wide range options on the table — including military action — to get what he claims the U.S. needs.
The big picture: With new fuel behind his hemispheric vision and the possibility of military involvement, world leaders are taking the president's renewed fixation on the self-ruling island seriously and warning him to respect its independence.
- Greenland is not for sale, a fact of which Trump has repeatedly been reminded.
- But top Trump adviser Stephen Miller asserted Monday, as calls from U.S. allies to honor Greenland's territorial integrity mounted, "nobody is going to fight the United States militarily over the future of Greenland."
Context: Seizing land from an ally would trigger a historic crisis within NATO — one that Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said would effectively mark the end of the alliance and the security it has provided for more than 75 years.
- White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement to Axios and other outlets the president's team is discussing "a range of options to pursue this important foreign policy goal, and of course, utilizing the U.S. Military is always an option at the Commander in Chief's disposal."
Worth noting: The U.S. already has military access and a base on the northwest coast of Greenland under a decades-old defense agreement.
- The Wall Street Journal and New York Times reported Tuesday that Secretary of State Marco Rubio told lawmakers the administration wants to buy, not invade, the island, citing sources familiar.
- The discourse is dizzying — and the actual plan remains unclear.
Read on for a brief timeline of Trump's hopes for a Greenland acquisition:
Trump's first term: no sale and a scrapped trip
In 2019, Trump confirmed he had considered the idea of acquiring Greenland but said it was "not No. 1 on the burner."
- But after Frederiksen declined to discuss the purchase of Greenland, Trump canceled a trip to Denmark.
- Danish politicians reacted with outrage.
2024: Trump resumes musings as president-elect
Before even returning to Pennsylvania Ave., then President-elect Trump restated his desire to control Greenland.
- In December 2024, he wrote that "the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity" in a Truth Social post announcing his choice for the U.S. ambassador to Denmark, PayPal co-founder Ken Howery.
- Greenland's prime minister at the time, Múte Egede, emphasized that Greenland is "not for sale and will never be for sale."
Around a year ago, Donald Trump Jr. visited Greenland. In a post about his son's trip, the elder Trump wrote, "Greenland is an incredible place, and the people will benefit tremendously if, and when, it becomes part of our Nation."
- Trump refused to rule out military or economic coercion to gain control of Greenland or the Panama Canal.
- Axios scooped in January of last year that Denmark sent private messages to Trump's team expressing willingness to boost security in Greenland or increase U.S. military presence there.
March 2025: Vance visits Greenland and Trump floats military involvement
In a brief visit to the island, Vance said the U.S. would "respect [the] sovereignty" of Greenland and wouldn't use military force.
- "Our message to Denmark is very simple: You have not done a good job by the people of Greenland," Vance said.
Yes, but: Trump undercut that pitch soon after, telling NBC News that while he thought the U.S. could get Greenland without military force, he still wouldn't take it off the table.
- The issue then went quiet, until now.
December 2025: Trump appoints special envoy
In a surprise move, Trump appointed Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry as Greenland envoy, renewing temporarily eased tensions.
- Landry said the goal of the "volunteer" gig was "to make Greenland a part of the U.S."
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen stressed that the appointment and rhetoric was unacceptable and upsetting, and he summoned the U.S. ambassador in response.
January 2026: An X post, new interviews and renewed concerns
After Trump announced a U.S. operation in Venezuela that captured Nicolás Maduro, MAGA ally Katie Miller, wife to the White House deputy chief of staff, posted an image of Greenland covered with the American flag, captioned "SOON."
- In a subsequent telephone interview with The Atlantic, Trump said the U.S. does "need Greenland, absolutely."
Friction point: A cascade of responses from European and Nordic leaders followed.
- Frederiksen wrote on Facebook, "It makes absolutely no sense to talk about the US needing to take over Greenland. The US has no right to annex any of the three countries in the Danish kingdom."
- In a joint statement, European leaders stated that "It is for Denmark and Greenland, and them only, to decide on matters concerning Denmark and Greenland."
Yes, but: Stephen Miller insisted to CNN's Jake Tapper Monday that "obviously, Greenland should be part of the United States."
