President Donald Trump has once again raised the possibility of the United States acquiring Greenland, even suggesting the potential use of military force [2, 15]. In an interview on NBC News, Trump stated he wouldn't rule out using force against the Danish territory, citing international security concerns [2, 5, 15]. Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark, a NATO ally, holds strategic importance due to its location and resources [5, 8, 17, 20].
Trump's interest in Greenland isn't new, and he has repeatedly expressed a desire to secure U.S. control over the island [2, 5, 15]. Vice President JD Vance has also commented on the matter, criticizing Denmark's handling of Greenland's affairs [2]. However, Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen has firmly rejected any suggestion of a sale or takeover [15, 25].
In addition to Greenland, Trump has also mentioned the idea of making Canada the 51st U.S. state [4, 5]. While he stated that military force is “highly unlikely” in this scenario, he continues to bring up the possibility [4, 5, 16]. Trump has claimed that the U.S. subsidizes Canada and that integrating Canada into the U.S. would eliminate this cost [4, 5]. However, this claim is based on a misunderstanding of trade deficits [4].