Former U.S. President Donald Trump could reprise his attempt to buy Greenland from Denmark if elected to the White House for a second term, a prominent international relations expert told Newsweek, though “he would only do so if he felt there was a chance of success.”
In August 2019, then-President Trump confirmed media reports that he was interested in purchasing Greenland, a Danish autonomous territory over three times the size of Texas, with a population of around 56,000 people. Trump said such a move would be a “large real estate deal,” with The Wall Street Journal reporting he wanted access to Greenland’s natural resources and a “legacy akin to President Dwight Eisenhower’s admission of Alaska into the U.S. as a state.” However the suggestion was shot down by Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who branded it “absurd,” adding “Greenland is not for sale. That’s where the conversation ends.”
On March 5, Trump won a string of Republican primary contests putting him within touching distance of the party’s 2024 presidential nomination and causing his last remaining serious rival, former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, to drop out. This triggered renewed speculation about which policies Trump might pursue during a second term, including in the arena of foreign policy.
Alan Mendoza, executive director of London-based think tank The Henry Jackson Society, which campaigns for “the principles and alliances which keep societies free,” told Newsweek the idea of the U.S. buying Greenland “isn’t as mad as it sounds.”
He said: “Donald Trump’s previous attempt to purchase Greenland was not as radical as might first be assumed. The US has engaged successfully in other territorial purchases historically—including from Denmark in the 20th century—investigated the viability of a Greenland purchase as far back as 1867, and is the guarantor of Greenland’s security as opposed to Denmark.
“Securing Greenland in this way would give the US access to crucial resources like rare earths, as well as guarding against hostile incursions either from the Arctic or against the Arctic itself. With climate change potentially opening up a sea route across the Arctic in the coming years, Greenland’s strategic position will only increase in importance.”
The U.S. has made substantial territorial purchases during its history, including the 1803 Louisiana Purchase from France, the 1819 acquisition of Florida from Spain and the 1867 Alaska purchase from Russia. However, America hasn’t made any territorial acquisitions since 1947, when the Mariana Islands, Caroline Islands and Marshall Islands came under U.S. control.
Photo-illustration by Newsweek/Getty
Mendoza did caution that acceptance of a Trump bid to purchase Greenland would be unlikely.
Referring to the U.S. agreeing to buy Greenland during a second Trump term, he said: “The chances of any successful bid are slim.
“Denmark united against the idea of a sale in 2019 and the Greenlanders themselves are unenthusiastic about swapping one sovereignty for another as opposed to declaring independence. Trump has given no indication he will reprise his offer, but we can assume that he would only do so if he felt there was a chance of success.
“Short of offering a vastly inflated price for Greenland—which would harm his reputation as a dealmaker—or offering to buy off local support with huge subsidies, it is difficult to see what would change to allow that.”
Newsweek reached out to representatives of Trump’s 2024 presidential election campaign for comment via email on Tuesday.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.