President Donald Trump on Tuesday renewed his demand that the United States be given control of Greenland, sparking widespread disbelief among critics. Speaking at the NATO summit, Trump claimed the U.S. relationship with the alliance is strained because he has not been granted control over the island, a semiautonomous territory of Denmark.
Trump's Rambling Remarks
During a minute-long stream-of-consciousness monologue, Trump said: “Well, that’s what hurt my relationship with NATO, because Greenland doesn’t help Denmark. Denmark doesn’t spend money to really help Greenland, but it’s an important part for the United States, and it’s surrounded by China ships and Russian ships and that’s not gonna happen, the ships, is not gonna happen. It was Greenland, and it continues to be, that should be controlled by the United States, not by Denmark. And when they wouldn’t go along with it, and with all the money we spend to help them with Russia, and we don’t have to spend any money, we could remove all of our soldiers out of Europe, because as you probably noticed, Europe’s a very different place than it was 20 years ago.”
Trump also warned that Europe must be “careful with immigration and energy,” adding, “If they’re not careful with those two things, you’re not gonna have a Europe anymore.”
Obsession with Greenland
Trump has been fixated on acquiring Greenland since his first term. He has at times implied he could use force but also stated he would not. Greenland officials have repeatedly said the island is not for sale. A pro-Trump candidate in Greenland’s 2025 election performed poorly in the polls.
The idea is also unpopular in the United States. A poll earlier this year found that only 24% of Americans approve of how Trump is handling Greenland.
Social Media Backlash
Critics on social media lambasted the president for raising the issue again. George Conway wrote, “Psycho.” Michael McFaul asked, “Why must he resurrect this horrible idea?” Another user commented, “The lunacy endures.” Others mocked Trump’s mental fitness, with one tweet reading, “Who fucking reminded his dementia-addled ass about the Greenland thing?” Leslie Marshall simply said, “Not this again.”
Some expressed concern over Trump’s threats to allies. One user noted, “So, now he’s threatening Europe and our allies. Again.” Another said, “The world hates us already. Let’s remind the world even more why that is.” A third user lamented, “Just a quick reminder that we have to put up with this trashtalk for another three years.”
