Trump Revives Greenland Ambitions — and Refuses to Rule Out Military Action
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is once again turning heads with his renewed push to seize Greenland — and this time, he’s not ruling out the use of force.
In a recent NBC interview, Trump stunned viewers by revisiting his controversial ambition to bring the icy, resource-rich territory under American control, hinting that military intervention remains a possibility.
“Something Could Happen…”
Trump’s fascination with Greenland is nothing new. First floated in 2019, his idea to “buy” the autonomous Danish territory was met with widespread ridicule and fierce political backlash, especially from Denmark and Greenlandic leaders. At the time, it was dismissed as another attention-grabbing stunt.
But Trump isn’t joking.
During an interview that began with a question about Canada possibly becoming the 51st U.S. state — which Trump called “highly unlikely” — he quickly pivoted back to Greenland with a striking comment:
“Something could happen with Greenland. I’ll be honest, we need that for national and international security… I don’t see it with Canada. I just don’t see it, I have to be honest with you.”
That wasn’t all.
“I don’t rule it out. I don’t say I’m going to do it, but I don’t rule out anything,” Trump continued. “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. But we need that for international security.”
Greenland Pushes Back — Again
Unsurprisingly, Trump’s comments reignited outrage in Greenland. Newly elected Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen swiftly condemned the idea, making it clear that his country isn’t for sale — now or ever.
“We will never, ever be a piece of property that can be bought by anyone, and that’s the message I think is most important to understand,” Nielsen said.
This firm stance echoes earlier responses from both Greenland and Denmark, who have previously rebuffed Trump’s proposals with equal force.
Still, Trump appears undeterred.
“We’ll get Greenland. Yeah, 100%,” he said. “Good possibility that we could do it without military force. But I don’t take anything off the table.”
The 51st State? Trump’s Eyes on Canada Too
And Greenland isn’t the only country Trump is eyeing.
In that same NBC interview, the former president also hinted at the possibility of annexing Canada — though he was quick to clarify that the topic hasn’t been formally discussed with Canada’s newly appointed Prime Minister, Mark Carney.
“I’ll always talk about that. You know why? We subsidize Canada to the tune of $200 billion a year,” Trump said. “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 great lumber. All I have to do is free it up from the environmental lunatics.”
Then, with a characteristic real estate flourish, Trump made his case:
“If Canada was part of the U.S., it wouldn’t cost us. It would be great… It would be a cherished state. And, if you look at our map — I’m a real estate guy at heart — that artificial line that goes straight across? Just drawn with a ruler. You don’t even realize.”
“What a beautiful country it would be,” he added.
Real Strategy or Political Spectacle?
Whether Trump’s statements are part of a genuine geopolitical vision or another headline-grabbing tactic, they’ve triggered serious discussion about the future of U.S. foreign policy should he return to power.
Greenland, rich in rare earth minerals and strategically positioned in the Arctic, has long been of interest to military analysts. But using force or pressuring NATO allies to cede territory would almost certainly provoke global backlash.
Could Greenland really become part of the U.S.? Would Trump dare try military means to make it happen?
For now, the answers remain unclear — but one thing is certain: Trump’s vision of the map keeps getting bigger.