Republican lawmakers are urging Donald Trump to quickly fold Greenland into the United States especially now that China has its eyes on the island.
In recent days, Trump has amplified calls for the U.S. to either purchase or stage a takeover of the ‘strategically located’ nation from Denmark.
Greenland is one of the shortest oceanic crossroads between North America and Europe holds incredible military and economic value to both the U.S. and China.
On Tuesday, the president-elect’s eldest son Donald Trump Jr. visited the island along with MAGA allies flying in on Trump Force One.
As Jr. landed, Trump made clear intent of the visit was to gain momentum for his push to have the island Americanized.
‘This is a deal that must happen,’ Trump wrote on Truth Social with a video of Don Jr. landing on the island. ‘MAKE GREENLAND GREAT AGAIN!’
And Republican lawmakers not only agree, but they’re telling Trump to hurry up so China can’t get its hands on the country first.
‘I think its a great move by the Trump team to try and make friends as much as possible because if we don’t the Chinese will,’ Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., told DailyMail.com of Jr.’s visit.
The country is also important because it has a large supply of rare earth minerals – like uranium – not found in the U.S., Burchett added.
Donald Trump Jr. visits Nuuk, Greenland, on Tuesday, January 7, 2025. Republican lawmakers are largely in lockstep with Trump’s Greenland plans
Donald Trump Jr., right, poses for a photo as he arrives in Nuuk, Greenland, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump arrives to speak to members of the media during a press conference at the Mar-a-Lago Club on January 07, 2025 in Palm Beach, Florida. At the event he said Greenland was needed by the U.S. for ‘national security purposes’
Speaking at Mar-a-Lago on Tuesday, Trump told reporters that the U.S. needs Greenland for ‘national security purposes.’
The president-elect also refused to rule out using military or economic force to get Greenland to comply with his demands.
In a remarkable moment, a reporter asked Trump on Tuesday if could assure he would not use ‘military or economic coercion’ to take control of the Panama Canal and Greenland.
‘I´m not going to commit to that,’ Trump said, when asked if he would rule out the use of the military. ‘It might be that you´ll have to do something. The Panama Canal is vital to our country.’ He added, ‘We need Greenland for national security purposes.’
He has been ramping up threats to take over Greenland, the Panama Canal and also Canada as he prepares for his second term.
Greenland hosts the U.S. Thule Air Base which is critical to Arctic security. The base has a wide array of capabilities like missile defense, satellite tracking and more.
It is also a key location in China’s ‘Polar Silk Road,’ a plan to expand their economic influence with countries in the area. Chinese stakeholders currently own large claims to Greenland’s large rare earth deposit ‘Kvanefjeld,’ which has vast stores of uranium.
‘The idea of Greenland, there are a lot of mineral resources there,’ House Homeland Security Chairman Mark Green told DailyMail.com. ‘I mean, working out something with the Danes, I don’t know, I mean, I haven’t been following any of that conversation very well.’
President Xi Jinping reviews the troops during his inspection of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) garrison stationed in the Macao Special Administrative Region, south China, Dec. 20, 2024. The country has aspirations in the Arctic like the ‘Polar Silk Road’
Residents wearing MAGA hats stand in front of the Hotel Hans Egede during Donald Trump Jr.’s (not pictured) visit to Nuuk, Greenland
Both Reps. Mark Green and Tim Burchett voiced support for Trump’s Greenland plans, noting how the country has vast deposits of rare metals
‘But I mean I’m not opposed to it,’ he admitted.
‘I support the president, we need to put America first,’ Freshman Rep. Addison McDowell, 30, told DailyMail.com when asked if he supports Trump’s Greenland plans.
‘And however, we have to do that, we have to do that, but we gotta put America first again,’ he continued.
Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, said he also supports Trump’s plans and noted how the president-elect ‘is a great negotiator’ and that ‘Don Jr. is up there.’
‘What’s the best for Greenland? How do they want to do it? Denmark’s involved with it. Let’s just see what happens,’ he added.
During Don Jr.’s visit he put his father on speakerphone with residents in a restaurant to convince them why they should join the U.S.
‘You’re so strategically located,’ Trump told those dining out for lunch in a call where his son put him on speakerphone.
The Republican claimed Greenland would be a massive asset to the U.S. because it would allow Washington to provide more security for island and region at large.
Don Jr. visited the capital of Greenland, Nuuk, which is home to 20,000 residents
During Don Jr.’s visit he put his father on speakerphone with residents to convince them why they should join the U.S.
Still, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen reiterated that Greenland is not for sale on Tuesday.
She said that Greenland’s Prime Minister Múte Egede ‘has been very, very clear’ that they don’t intend to become part of the U.S.
‘There is a lot of support among the people of Greenland that Greenland is not for sale and will not be in the future either,’ Frederiksen insisted.
But she is not the only leader that has had to rebuke Trump’s offer to expand the American empire.
‘There isn’t a snowball’s chance in hell that Canada would become part of the United States,’ Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau posted on X Tuesday.
Trump has repeatedly joked, at least it seemed like a joke until recently, that Canada should become the U.S.’s 51st state, a claim he made to the PM’s face during a Mar-a-Lago dinner after the election.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks during a news conference at Rideau Cottage in Ottawa, Canada on January 6, 2025. Trudeau announced his resignation, saying he will leave office as soon as the ruling Liberal party chooses a new leader
The president-elect has also referred to Trudeau as ‘Governor.’ But now, days after announcing he will step down from power, the Canadian leader is saying enough is enough.
‘Workers and communities in both our countries benefit from being each other’s biggest trading and security partner,’ the PM’s statement continued,
But the loss of trade with the U.S. could throw Canada’s economy into a tailspin, which is why Trudeau rushed down to Mar-a-Lago when Trump made comments in November about slapping big tariffs on the country.
‘I said, Listen, what would happen if we didn’t subsidize you? Because we give them a lot of money, we help them,’ Trump said of Canada at Tuesday’s event.
‘As an example, we’re buying icebreakers, and Canada wants to join us in the buying of icebreakers. I said, you know, we don’t really want to have a partner in the buying of icebreakers. We don’t need a partner.’
‘We have a right not to help them with their financial difficulties,’ Trump continued.
‘Why are we supporting a country $200 billion plus a year our military is at their disposal, all of these other things. They should be a state,’ he said.
