Even before Donald J. Trump took back the White House, he was set on expanding the United States of America and establishing dominance across the globe. In the lead-up to his inauguration, Trump made several provocative statements about expanding American territory. These included threats to invade and make Canada the 51st state, proposals to buy or seize Greenland from Denmark, and claims that the –United States should take control of the Panama Canal.
While Trump has made many statements about expanding American Territory, in recent weeks, he has especially focused on Greenland, a territory he has been set on ever since his first term as president. Donald Trump first expressed interest in purchasing Greenland back in 2019, but was quickly turned down by the Kingdom of Denmark, which owns the territory. Now it’s 2025, and Trump has once again expressed interest in the purchase of the territory.
But, why does Trump want Greenland? Would the territory really benefit America? Trump claims that Greenland is essential for the United States’ economic security, as Greenland holds a vast amount of vital, rare earth minerals like oil and gas, which would greatly benefit the American economy in the long run. Control of Greenland would also be advantageous militarily, helping defend against potential attacks from Russia and providing a vantage point over the Arctic and the Northern Sea route, which Russia currently controls.
This wouldn’t be the first time America had considered purchasing or acquiring Greenland; former President Andrew Johnson also attempted purchasing Greenland and so did President Harry Truman and his Administration, who offered $100 million to Denmark in exchange for Greenland after World War II. However, the deal was ultimately rejected—an expected result.
Whether the new Trump administration will follow through on their efforts to acquire Greenland is unknown. Trump has had phone conversations with Mette Frederiksen, the Prime Minister of Denmark, which she described as “horrendous.” During these calls, Trump became repeatedly frustrated when she insisted that Greenland was not for sale and even threatened Denmark with tariffs if they refused to cede the island. Furthermore, it is clear that if the purchase is rejected, Trump and his administration may resort to military force, as he has explicitly refused to rule out the use of militia to acquire Greenland.
Trump’s bold territorial ambitions, from Canada to Greenland and the Panama Canal, highlight his focus on economic and strategic gains. However, Denmark’s firm rejections and the potential of military action leave the world and some of America’s citizens questioning the cost of his expansionist vision.
