Trump shows interest in acquiring Greenland, Canada, and the Panama Canal in a series of posts
December 25, 2024 |
ANI
Washington DC: US President-elect Donald Trump in a series of social media posts has stirred controversy by expressing interest in acquiring Greenland, Canada, and the Panama Canal, citing national security and economic benefits. His remarks have drawn sharp rebukes from leaders in Denmark, and Panama.
In the latest social media post, Donald Trump's son Eric Trump posted a picture depicting Trump purchasing Canada, Greenland and Panama Canal and wrote, "We are so back!!!"
Recently, Trump expressed interest in Greenland and said that American ownership and control of the territory is an "absolute necessity" for national security and global freedom.
"For purposes of national security and freedom throughout the world, the United States of America feels that the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity," Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.
Following Trump's remarks on Greenland, Rasmus Jarlov, a Member of Parliament in Denmark's opposition Conservative Party, said that "dictators" threaten to take control over other countries' territory.
Sharing a post on X, Jarlov wrote, "Not sure whether it is a joke or not. But certainly not funny. One week Canada is threatened. Now Denmark. Greenland is Danish. It has been since 1380 and it will continue to be. This is undisputed, signed in rock in treaties and not open for negotiation at all. Dictators threaten to take control over other countries' territory. Free democratic countries do not."
Earlier on Monday, Trump also posted a cryptic message on Truth Social about the Panama Canal. He posted a picture with the flag of the US flying above the Panama Canal, resonating with his threat to Panama that he would not let the canal fall into the "wrong hands."
He wrote, "Welcome to the United States Canal! The Panama Canal is considered a vital national asset for the United States, due to its critical role to America's economy and national security. If the principles, both moral and legal, of this magnanimous gesture of giving are not followed, then we will demand that the Panama Canal be returned to us, in full, and without question. To the Officials of Panama, please be guided accordingly!"
Following Trump's remarks on the Panama Canal, Panama's President Jose Raul Mulino responded to Trump and said, "Every square meter of the Panama Canal and the surrounding area belongs to Panama and will continue belonging so."
Earlier, Trump also created a stir by calling it a "great idea" for Canada to become the 51st state of the US, as Canadian leader Justin Trudeau faces a domestic political crisis linked to fears over a potential tariff war with Trump.
"Many Canadians want Canada to become the 51st State," Trump posted on his Truth Social platform. "They would save massively on taxes and military protection. I think it is a great idea. 51st State!!!" he added.
Washington DC: US President-elect Donald Trump in a series of social media posts has stirred controversy by expressing interest in acquiring Greenland, Canada, and the Panama Canal, citing national security and economic benefits. His remarks have drawn sharp rebukes from leaders in Denmark, and Panama.
In the latest social media post, Donald Trump's son Eric Trump posted a picture depicting Trump purchasing Canada, Greenland and Panama Canal and wrote, "We are so back!!!"
Recently, Trump expressed interest in Greenland and said that American ownership and control of the territory is an "absolute necessity" for national security and global freedom.
"For purposes of national security and freedom throughout the world, the United States of America feels that the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity," Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.
Following Trump's remarks on Greenland, Rasmus Jarlov, a Member of Parliament in Denmark's opposition Conservative Party, said that "dictators" threaten to take control over other countries' territory.
Sharing a post on X, Jarlov wrote, "Not sure whether it is a joke or not. But certainly not funny. One week Canada is threatened. Now Denmark. Greenland is Danish. It has been since 1380 and it will continue to be. This is undisputed, signed in rock in treaties and not open for negotiation at all. Dictators threaten to take control over other countries' territory. Free democratic countries do not."
Earlier on Monday, Trump also posted a cryptic message on Truth Social about the Panama Canal. He posted a picture with the flag of the US flying above the Panama Canal, resonating with his threat to Panama that he would not let the canal fall into the "wrong hands."
He wrote, "Welcome to the United States Canal! The Panama Canal is considered a vital national asset for the United States, due to its critical role to America's economy and national security. If the principles, both moral and legal, of this magnanimous gesture of giving are not followed, then we will demand that the Panama Canal be returned to us, in full, and without question. To the Officials of Panama, please be guided accordingly!"
Following Trump's remarks on the Panama Canal, Panama's President Jose Raul Mulino responded to Trump and said, "Every square meter of the Panama Canal and the surrounding area belongs to Panama and will continue belonging so."
Earlier, Trump also created a stir by calling it a "great idea" for Canada to become the 51st state of the US, as Canadian leader Justin Trudeau faces a domestic political crisis linked to fears over a potential tariff war with Trump.
"Many Canadians want Canada to become the 51st State," Trump posted on his Truth Social platform. "They would save massively on taxes and military protection. I think it is a great idea. 51st State!!!" he added.
'Hopelessly broken' CNN buried by critics for 'sane washing' Trump's Greenland rants
Sarah K. Burris
December 24, 2024
Composite image of Greenland (Google Maps) and President Donald Trump (screengrab)
Multiple critics called out CNN this week for purportedly normalizing President-elect Donald Trump's idea of "buying" Greenland, invading Panama and possibly even Canada.
Trump spent this past weekend ranting about the high costs of ships passing through the Panama Canal and declared that it's such a ripoff that the United States should take back the canal. While it would violate a 1977 treaty and involve an invasion of U.S. soldiers, Trump didn't stop there.
According to New York Times reporters, Trump has long been obsessed with buying Greenland, thinking that the Denmark-owned island is like the large shop "on the corner." While Trump's team is aiming for $2 trillion in cuts to the federal government, he wants to spring huge cash on either buying Greenland or annexing it the way Russia did with Crimea.
It comes only a few weeks after Trump told Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that Canada should simply become a new "state" of the U.S.
In reporting on these remarks, CNN was accused of "sanitizing" the story and "sane washing" it by reporting it as follows: "The president-elect has suggested a territorial extension into Panama, Greenland, and Canada. If he's serious, it would rival the Louisiana Purchase."
Election lawyer Marc Elias took to Blue Sky on Tuesday to shame the network and call it "hopelessly broken."
"1. This 'expansion' would require military invasions of several allies in violation of international law. 2. It would violate several treaties. 3. The Louisiana Purchase was the sale of land by a colonial power (France). These are sovereign nations," he said.
"So Trump wants to annex Greenland, Canada, and Panama, and invade Mexico. A whole lot of gullible people were telling me he was the antiwar, anti-imperial candidate," remarked digital strategist Robert Cruickshank on X.
Melanie D’Arrigo of the Campaign for New York Health called out CNN for "manufacturing consent for Trump to attack and invade our allies."
Film and television editor Michael Tae Sweeney said on Blue Sky that CNN is guilty of doing this over several years. It's all an effort to "try to help Trump and fool their audience by lying to them."
USA Today opinion columnist Michael J. Stern told CNN, "When one country tries to take over parts of another country it's not 'expansion,' it's an illegal act of war." He linked it to another CNN story with the headline, "TRump is teasing US expansion into Panama, Greenland and Canada."
Sarah K. Burris
December 24, 2024
Composite image of Greenland (Google Maps) and President Donald Trump (screengrab)
Multiple critics called out CNN this week for purportedly normalizing President-elect Donald Trump's idea of "buying" Greenland, invading Panama and possibly even Canada.
Trump spent this past weekend ranting about the high costs of ships passing through the Panama Canal and declared that it's such a ripoff that the United States should take back the canal. While it would violate a 1977 treaty and involve an invasion of U.S. soldiers, Trump didn't stop there.
According to New York Times reporters, Trump has long been obsessed with buying Greenland, thinking that the Denmark-owned island is like the large shop "on the corner." While Trump's team is aiming for $2 trillion in cuts to the federal government, he wants to spring huge cash on either buying Greenland or annexing it the way Russia did with Crimea.
It comes only a few weeks after Trump told Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that Canada should simply become a new "state" of the U.S.
In reporting on these remarks, CNN was accused of "sanitizing" the story and "sane washing" it by reporting it as follows: "The president-elect has suggested a territorial extension into Panama, Greenland, and Canada. If he's serious, it would rival the Louisiana Purchase."
Election lawyer Marc Elias took to Blue Sky on Tuesday to shame the network and call it "hopelessly broken."
"1. This 'expansion' would require military invasions of several allies in violation of international law. 2. It would violate several treaties. 3. The Louisiana Purchase was the sale of land by a colonial power (France). These are sovereign nations," he said.
"So Trump wants to annex Greenland, Canada, and Panama, and invade Mexico. A whole lot of gullible people were telling me he was the antiwar, anti-imperial candidate," remarked digital strategist Robert Cruickshank on X.
Melanie D’Arrigo of the Campaign for New York Health called out CNN for "manufacturing consent for Trump to attack and invade our allies."
Film and television editor Michael Tae Sweeney said on Blue Sky that CNN is guilty of doing this over several years. It's all an effort to "try to help Trump and fool their audience by lying to them."
USA Today opinion columnist Michael J. Stern told CNN, "When one country tries to take over parts of another country it's not 'expansion,' it's an illegal act of war." He linked it to another CNN story with the headline, "TRump is teasing US expansion into Panama, Greenland and Canada."
Denmark announces major boost to Greenland defense amid Trump threats
Erik De La Garza
December 24, 2024
Former President Donald Trump. (Lev Radin / Shutterstock)
A massive increase in defense spending is set to hit Greenland in a move that would allow the Artic territory to fortify its military’s strength.
The announcement came just hours after President-elect Donald Trump again insisted that the United States should acquire the semi-autonomous part of Denmark for purposes of America’s “national security and freedom.”
"We have not invested enough in the Arctic for many years, now we are planning a stronger presence," Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said, according to the BBC.
Poulsen described the spending package as being a "double digit billion amount" in krone, or at least $1.5 billion, the publication added. It would give Greenland the ability to purchase two new inspection ships, two new long-range drones and two extra dog sled teams.
“It would also include funding for increased staffing at Arctic Command in the capital Nuuk and an upgrade for one of Greenland's three main civilian airports to handle F-35 supersonic fighter aircraft,” the BBC reported.
But the plan to heighten Greenland’s military capacity was apparently already in place, even before Trump’s renewed interest in purchasing the island.
Poulsen described the announcement’s timing as an “irony of fate” following the incoming president's eyebrow-raising comment when he announced his pick of Ken Howery as his ambassador to Copenhagen. According to analysts, “the plan has been under discussion for a long time and should not be seen as a direct response to Trump's comments,” the BBC reported.
Trump first floated the idea of purchasing Greenland in 2019, but Denmark and the island’s own officials have both steadfastly rejected the offer and repeated that the territory is "not for sale."
RARE EARTH ELEMENTS
Erik De La Garza
December 24, 2024
Former President Donald Trump. (Lev Radin / Shutterstock)
A massive increase in defense spending is set to hit Greenland in a move that would allow the Artic territory to fortify its military’s strength.
The announcement came just hours after President-elect Donald Trump again insisted that the United States should acquire the semi-autonomous part of Denmark for purposes of America’s “national security and freedom.”
"We have not invested enough in the Arctic for many years, now we are planning a stronger presence," Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said, according to the BBC.
Poulsen described the spending package as being a "double digit billion amount" in krone, or at least $1.5 billion, the publication added. It would give Greenland the ability to purchase two new inspection ships, two new long-range drones and two extra dog sled teams.
“It would also include funding for increased staffing at Arctic Command in the capital Nuuk and an upgrade for one of Greenland's three main civilian airports to handle F-35 supersonic fighter aircraft,” the BBC reported.
But the plan to heighten Greenland’s military capacity was apparently already in place, even before Trump’s renewed interest in purchasing the island.
Poulsen described the announcement’s timing as an “irony of fate” following the incoming president's eyebrow-raising comment when he announced his pick of Ken Howery as his ambassador to Copenhagen. According to analysts, “the plan has been under discussion for a long time and should not be seen as a direct response to Trump's comments,” the BBC reported.
Trump first floated the idea of purchasing Greenland in 2019, but Denmark and the island’s own officials have both steadfastly rejected the offer and repeated that the territory is "not for sale."
Denmark boosts Greenland defence after Trump repeats desire for US control
Robert Greenall
BBC News
Paul Kirby
Europe digital editor
Robert Greenall
BBC News
Paul Kirby
Europe digital editor
Reuters
Greenland has major mineral reserves
The Danish government has announced a huge boost in defence spending for Greenland, hours after US President-elect Donald Trump repeated his desire to purchase the Arctic territory.
Danish Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said the package was a "double digit billion amount" in krone, or at least $1.5bn (£1.2bn).
He described the timing of the announcement as an "irony of fate". On Monday Trump said ownership and control of the huge island was an "absolute necessity" for the US.
Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory, is home to a large US space facility and is strategically important for the US, lying on the shortest route from North America to Europe. It has major mineral reserves.
Poulsen said the package would allow for the purchase of two new inspection ships, two new long-range drones and two extra dog sled teams.
It would also include funding for increased staffing at Arctic Command in the capital Nuuk and an upgrade for one of Greenland's three main civilian airports to handle F-35 supersonic fighter aircraft.
"We have not invested enough in the Arctic for many years, now we are planning a stronger presence," he said.
The defence minister did not give an exact figure for the package, but Danish media estimated it would be around 12-15bn krone.
The announcement came a day after Trump said on his social media platform Truth Social: "For purposes of National Security and Freedom throughout the World, the United States of America feels that the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity."
Greenland's Prime Minister Mute Egede responded to Trump's comments, saying "we are not for sale".
But he added that Greenlanders should continue to be open for cooperation and trade, especially with their neighbours.
Analysts say that the plan has been under discussion for a long time and should not be seen as a direct response to Trump's comments.
Until now Denmark has been very slow to expand its military capacity in Greenland, they say, but if the country is not able to protect waters around the territory against encroachments by China and Russia then US demands for greater control are likely to grow.
Army Maj Steen Kjaergaard of the Danish Defence Academy suggests it may have been Trump's intention to pressure Denmark into such a move.
"It is likely to be sparked by the renewed Trump focus on the need for air and maritime control around Greenland and the internal developments in Greenland where some are voicing a will to look towards the US – a new international airport in Nuuk was just inaugurated," he told the BBC.
"I think Trump is smart… he gets Denmark to prioritise its Arctic military capabilities by raising this voice, without having to take over a very un-American welfare system," he added, referring to Greenland's heavy dependence on subsidies from Copenhagen.
Trump's original suggestion in 2019 that the US acquire Greenland, which is the world's largest island, led to a similarly sharp rebuke from leaders there.
At the time Danish Prime Minister Mette Fredericksen described the idea as "absurd", leading Trump to cancel a state trip to the country.
He is not the first US president to suggest buying Greenland. The idea was first mooted during the 1860s under the presidency of Andrew Johnson.
Greenland has major mineral reserves
The Danish government has announced a huge boost in defence spending for Greenland, hours after US President-elect Donald Trump repeated his desire to purchase the Arctic territory.
Danish Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said the package was a "double digit billion amount" in krone, or at least $1.5bn (£1.2bn).
He described the timing of the announcement as an "irony of fate". On Monday Trump said ownership and control of the huge island was an "absolute necessity" for the US.
Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory, is home to a large US space facility and is strategically important for the US, lying on the shortest route from North America to Europe. It has major mineral reserves.
Poulsen said the package would allow for the purchase of two new inspection ships, two new long-range drones and two extra dog sled teams.
It would also include funding for increased staffing at Arctic Command in the capital Nuuk and an upgrade for one of Greenland's three main civilian airports to handle F-35 supersonic fighter aircraft.
"We have not invested enough in the Arctic for many years, now we are planning a stronger presence," he said.
The defence minister did not give an exact figure for the package, but Danish media estimated it would be around 12-15bn krone.
The announcement came a day after Trump said on his social media platform Truth Social: "For purposes of National Security and Freedom throughout the World, the United States of America feels that the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity."
Greenland's Prime Minister Mute Egede responded to Trump's comments, saying "we are not for sale".
But he added that Greenlanders should continue to be open for cooperation and trade, especially with their neighbours.
Analysts say that the plan has been under discussion for a long time and should not be seen as a direct response to Trump's comments.
Until now Denmark has been very slow to expand its military capacity in Greenland, they say, but if the country is not able to protect waters around the territory against encroachments by China and Russia then US demands for greater control are likely to grow.
Army Maj Steen Kjaergaard of the Danish Defence Academy suggests it may have been Trump's intention to pressure Denmark into such a move.
"It is likely to be sparked by the renewed Trump focus on the need for air and maritime control around Greenland and the internal developments in Greenland where some are voicing a will to look towards the US – a new international airport in Nuuk was just inaugurated," he told the BBC.
"I think Trump is smart… he gets Denmark to prioritise its Arctic military capabilities by raising this voice, without having to take over a very un-American welfare system," he added, referring to Greenland's heavy dependence on subsidies from Copenhagen.
Trump's original suggestion in 2019 that the US acquire Greenland, which is the world's largest island, led to a similarly sharp rebuke from leaders there.
At the time Danish Prime Minister Mette Fredericksen described the idea as "absurd", leading Trump to cancel a state trip to the country.
He is not the first US president to suggest buying Greenland. The idea was first mooted during the 1860s under the presidency of Andrew Johnson.
Trump adviser on plot to take Greenland: 'We have not expanded our country in 70 years'
Corey Lewandowski (Newsmax/screen grab)
Corey Lewandowski (Newsmax/screen grab)
David Edwards
Incoming President Donald Trump is back on his quixotic plan to buy Greenland for the United States. But that’s not the first time the United States has expressed interest in buying the vast expanse of ice and tundra.
Trump’s most recent attempt to get the Denmark-owned self-governing territory is wrapped up in his announcement of Ken Howery as ambassador to Denmark. In 2019, Howery was named Trump’s ambassador to Sweden.
“For purposes of National Security and Freedom throughout the World, the United States of America feels that the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity,” Trump said.
READ MORE: ‘America’s Dumbest Senator’: Ron Johnson Dragged for ‘Incredibly Ignorant’ Claim About How Greenland Got Its Name
Trump’s interest in Greenland started during his first term, when billionaire and former Estée Lauder chairman Ronald Lauder suggested the president buy the territory. In August 2018, Senator Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) met with Danish ambassador Lars Gert Lose on Trump’s behalf to float the proposal. At the time Cotton said that Greenland was “vital to our national security,” according to TalkBusiness.
As strange as it may seem, Trump is not the only president to try to get Greenland. Nor is the idea quite as baffling as it initially sounds. Though the territory is mostly covered in ice—with areas of pure ice—it has lots of mineral resources, including stores of uranium, coal, gold and rare earth metals, not to mention oil and gas.
Greenland is also well positioned politically. There are a number of American military bases in the territory, and it boasts frequent visits from diplomats and military officials. It was even called “the most strategic location in the Arctic and perhaps the world” by Walter Berbrick of the U.S. Naval War College, who has urged the United States to increase ties to Greenland—and even called the purchase of the territory a “strategic option” that “deserves serious consideration.”
The first time the U.S. thought about buying Greenland was in 1867 when Secretary of State William Seward, under President Andrew Johnson, proposed buying it and Iceland from Denmark for $5.5 million in gold, or about $117.2 million in today’s money. The offer was never made to Denmark however. That same year, Seward negotiated the Alaska Purchase from Russia for $7.2 million ($129 million today).
In 1946, President Harry Truman’s Secretary of State Owen Brewster tried again. He offered $100 million (or about $1 billion in today’s money) in gold bullion. While the offer was popular in the American government, Denmark balked. The main reason cited was that Danes saw Greenland as part of Denmark’s cultural identity and a connection to the country’s history as Vikings, according to The Conversation.
That refusal appeared to settle things. America was happy to merely work with Denmark and Greenland without actually owning it until Trump stepped in. It remains unlikely that Denmark will ever sell—in fact, Greenlandic independence appears to be a surer bet. But one can only assume that Trump won’t stop trying.
Denmark refused offers, with Denmark’s foreign policy chair calling it a “terrible and grotesque thought,” according to the New York Times. Indeed, the proposal was first reported on as one of Trump’s jokes.
The most recent attempt is just as unpopular with the Danes and the Greenlandic people.
“Greenland is ours. We are not for sale and will never be for sale. We must not lose our long struggle for freedom,” Greenland Prime Minister Mute Egede told Reuters.
December 24, 2024
ALTERNET
Corey Lewandowski, a senior adviser to Donald Trump, defended the president-elect's desire to take over Greenland by arguing his boss was a "real estate master."
During a Monday interview on Newsmax, Lewandowski outlined some of Trump's expansionist plans for his next administration.
"Corey, what do you make of Trump's threat about the Panama Canal?" Newsmax host Logan Ratick asked the Trump adviser.
"Yeah, once again, this is President Trump focused on America first," Lewandowski explained. "We sold it for a dollar, which was just the most ridiculous thing that anybody has ever seen."
"And so it's time to make sure that our independence and our dominance on the world stage is back in play," he continued. "He's talking about maybe Greenland from a historic perspective coming as part of the United States, taking back the Panama Canal so that China doesn't have its influence there."
"This is a president who is making outside-the-box announcements to put the world on notice that, once again, the United States is the dominant world superpower."
Newsmax host Emma Rechenberg pressed Lewandowski on the plan to annex Greenland.
"It's, of course, considered part of the kingdom of Denmark," she noted. "It's an autonomous territory under Danish sovereignty, but not a separate country.
"Why would he want this, Corey?" Rechenberg asked.
"Well, look, Donald Trump is a real estate master, and he understands the historic and the strategic, more importantly, significance of Greenland," Lewandowski claimed. "There is a very important strategic value to the United States having control of this."
"And by the way, we have not expanded our country in 70 years," he added. "So, look, Donald Trump is, again, thinking outside the box. How do we have a lasting impact on the world stage? What does his legacy look like?"
"This is someone who has a vision for America's greatness long after he has left the White House, and this is just part."
Watch the video from Newsmax.
ALTERNET
Corey Lewandowski, a senior adviser to Donald Trump, defended the president-elect's desire to take over Greenland by arguing his boss was a "real estate master."
During a Monday interview on Newsmax, Lewandowski outlined some of Trump's expansionist plans for his next administration.
"Corey, what do you make of Trump's threat about the Panama Canal?" Newsmax host Logan Ratick asked the Trump adviser.
"Yeah, once again, this is President Trump focused on America first," Lewandowski explained. "We sold it for a dollar, which was just the most ridiculous thing that anybody has ever seen."
"And so it's time to make sure that our independence and our dominance on the world stage is back in play," he continued. "He's talking about maybe Greenland from a historic perspective coming as part of the United States, taking back the Panama Canal so that China doesn't have its influence there."
"This is a president who is making outside-the-box announcements to put the world on notice that, once again, the United States is the dominant world superpower."
Newsmax host Emma Rechenberg pressed Lewandowski on the plan to annex Greenland.
"It's, of course, considered part of the kingdom of Denmark," she noted. "It's an autonomous territory under Danish sovereignty, but not a separate country.
"Why would he want this, Corey?" Rechenberg asked.
"Well, look, Donald Trump is a real estate master, and he understands the historic and the strategic, more importantly, significance of Greenland," Lewandowski claimed. "There is a very important strategic value to the United States having control of this."
"And by the way, we have not expanded our country in 70 years," he added. "So, look, Donald Trump is, again, thinking outside the box. How do we have a lasting impact on the world stage? What does his legacy look like?"
"This is someone who has a vision for America's greatness long after he has left the White House, and this is just part."
Watch the video from Newsmax.
Donald Trump not the first president to try to buy Greenland
Donald Trump gestures, as he attends a press conference on "Trump Will Fix It", at Mar-a-Lago, in Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., October 29, 2024. REUTERS/Marco Bello
Donald Trump gestures, as he attends a press conference on "Trump Will Fix It", at Mar-a-Lago, in Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., October 29, 2024. REUTERS/Marco Bello
Donald Trump gestures, as he attends a press conference on "Trump Will Fix It", at Mar-a-Lago, in Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., October 29, 2024. REUTERS/Marco Bello
Donald Trump gestures, as he attends a press conference on "Trump Will Fix It", at Mar-a-Lago, in Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., October 29, 2024. REUTERS/Marco Bello
December 23, 2024
Incoming President Donald Trump is back on his quixotic plan to buy Greenland for the United States. But that’s not the first time the United States has expressed interest in buying the vast expanse of ice and tundra.
Trump’s most recent attempt to get the Denmark-owned self-governing territory is wrapped up in his announcement of Ken Howery as ambassador to Denmark. In 2019, Howery was named Trump’s ambassador to Sweden.
“For purposes of National Security and Freedom throughout the World, the United States of America feels that the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity,” Trump said.
READ MORE: ‘America’s Dumbest Senator’: Ron Johnson Dragged for ‘Incredibly Ignorant’ Claim About How Greenland Got Its Name
Trump’s interest in Greenland started during his first term, when billionaire and former Estée Lauder chairman Ronald Lauder suggested the president buy the territory. In August 2018, Senator Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) met with Danish ambassador Lars Gert Lose on Trump’s behalf to float the proposal. At the time Cotton said that Greenland was “vital to our national security,” according to TalkBusiness.
As strange as it may seem, Trump is not the only president to try to get Greenland. Nor is the idea quite as baffling as it initially sounds. Though the territory is mostly covered in ice—with areas of pure ice—it has lots of mineral resources, including stores of uranium, coal, gold and rare earth metals, not to mention oil and gas.
Greenland is also well positioned politically. There are a number of American military bases in the territory, and it boasts frequent visits from diplomats and military officials. It was even called “the most strategic location in the Arctic and perhaps the world” by Walter Berbrick of the U.S. Naval War College, who has urged the United States to increase ties to Greenland—and even called the purchase of the territory a “strategic option” that “deserves serious consideration.”
The first time the U.S. thought about buying Greenland was in 1867 when Secretary of State William Seward, under President Andrew Johnson, proposed buying it and Iceland from Denmark for $5.5 million in gold, or about $117.2 million in today’s money. The offer was never made to Denmark however. That same year, Seward negotiated the Alaska Purchase from Russia for $7.2 million ($129 million today).
In 1946, President Harry Truman’s Secretary of State Owen Brewster tried again. He offered $100 million (or about $1 billion in today’s money) in gold bullion. While the offer was popular in the American government, Denmark balked. The main reason cited was that Danes saw Greenland as part of Denmark’s cultural identity and a connection to the country’s history as Vikings, according to The Conversation.
That refusal appeared to settle things. America was happy to merely work with Denmark and Greenland without actually owning it until Trump stepped in. It remains unlikely that Denmark will ever sell—in fact, Greenlandic independence appears to be a surer bet. But one can only assume that Trump won’t stop trying.
Denmark refused offers, with Denmark’s foreign policy chair calling it a “terrible and grotesque thought,” according to the New York Times. Indeed, the proposal was first reported on as one of Trump’s jokes.
The most recent attempt is just as unpopular with the Danes and the Greenlandic people.
“Greenland is ours. We are not for sale and will never be for sale. We must not lose our long struggle for freedom,” Greenland Prime Minister Mute Egede told Reuters.
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