President Donald Trump may be the only American who wants Greenland.
Back in the simpler days of 2019 and his first term, Trump expressed his desire to purchase the largest island on the planet, a self-governing territory of the Kingdom of Denmark. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen immediately scoffed and called the idea “absurd,” seemingly hurting Trump’s feelings.
Now, in the much more complicated world of 2026, Trump is advancing his efforts to purchase Greenland, motivating opposition from both sides of the aisle. Republicans and Democrats alike are attempting to smooth over relations with Denmark and block Trump’s once-idle threats of taking Greenland for the United States.
Truth be told, there is a strategic advantage to Greenland. Trump’s stated logic for his goal of acquiring it for the U.S. lies in threats from China and Russia. He’s mentioned that Chinese and Russian submarines regularly patrol the waters around Greenland — though other sources have stated that Russian subs only venture as far as the Barents Sea off Scandinavia.
It’s a real puzzler, especially for most Americans who’d like to distance themselves from their colonial counterparts of the 1890s. There is a certain Monroe Doctrine flavor to this odd diplomatic crisis, especially when considering the feelings of the Greenlandic people, composed mostly of Indigenous Inuit.
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The Greenlandic people stand united in their current fears of an American takeover. This sentiment rises from Trump’s rhetoric, where he said Greenland will be bought “whether they like it or not,” and that it’ll be taken either “the nice way or the more difficult way.”
The effects of American words on Denmark are taking their toll across the Atlantic Ocean. Vice President JD Vance’s comments that Denmark is a “bad ally” shocked Frederiksen, who has even implemented conservative policies now and again. She noted that Vance’s remarks took her nation by surprise, pointing to their long amiable history with the U.S.
Even if this is common Trumpian grandstanding, this reveals the fatal flaw in this administration’s rhetoric on an international diplomatic level. Yes, the prospect of the U.S. purchasing Greenland from Denmark is, to again borrow Frederiksen’s words, “absurd.” But this surreal notion belies a major concern every American should have.
The words of the American president should never evoke fear in our allies.
On the world stage, no matter what political lens through which this is viewed, the reactions of the Greenlandic people to Trump’s rhetoric should demonstrate that our European allies, namely NATO, are truly running out of patience for our administration’s irresponsible words.
The Inuit people of Greenland are especially concerned. A majority of Americans, including their representatives in Washington, would prefer Trump not continue the U.S.’s horrendous history of Indigenous relations under international scrutiny.
A cool 17% of Americans polled by Reuters are opposed to the idea of Trump purchasing Greenland. The partisan numbers spiked when presented with the hypothetical use of military force to secure Greenland from Denmark, with even 68% of Republicans rejecting this.
With Trump now threatening any noncompliant European nation with tariffs, we can all learn a lesson in how the words of the American president, especially one as dialectically volatile as this one, have profound effects around the globe.
Suppose most of the naysayers are correct, and Trump only wants Greenland to prevent Russia from taking its precious natural resources before America has a chance — perhaps emboldened by the successful kidnapping of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro. In that case, we would benefit even more from imposing on Russia’s constant ravaging in the Baltics.
If our need were so dire for oil, we would not turn to Greenland. Nor has Denmark acted in any way contrary to U.S. interests. No, Trump has said these things because he can, and because his words have incredible power on the world stage.
He lost out on the Nobel Peace Prize, and he wants to lash out in a tantrum, with a ludicrous claim from his first campaign, which decidedly generated the most buzz. This is not editorial conjecture, either — Trump himself confirmed the loss of the prize as a catalyst for this crisis, tempting him to use force as a show of strength.
We apologize to Greenland, because not all Americans want to take over Greenland. In fact, not all of us over here, contrary to popular belief, are bullies.
Aaron is a senior in Media and LAS.
