President Trump Demanded Greenland from Denmark, Threatened Force and Tariffs on Eight European Nations, Then Backed Down

Details

Since his second inauguration, President Donald Trump has pursued acquiring Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory, through escalating pressure including threats of military force and tariffs against eight European allies. After weeks of confrontation that strained NATO relations and prompted the largest protests in Greenlandic history, President Trump backed down at the World Economic Forum in Davos on January 21, 2026, ruling out military action and withdrawing his tariff threats. Greenland remains part of the Kingdom of Denmark, though President Trump's renewed false claims about the island in July 2026 suggest the issue has not been put to rest.

Background and First Term Origins

President Trump first raised the possibility of purchasing Greenland in August 2019 during his first term, describing it as "essentially a real estate deal" that could benefit Denmark financially. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called the idea "absurd", prompting President Trump to cancel a scheduled state visit to Denmark.

The Ronald Lauder Origin Story: The idea did not originate with President Trump. According to reporting traced to Peter Baker and Susan Glasser's book The Divider, the pitch came from Ronald Lauder, the billionaire Estée Lauder heir, as Mother Jones detailed in a January 2025 profile by Sophie Hurwitz (recirculated in July 2026 amid renewed Greenland talk). Lauder—whose family company is valued at roughly $29 billion and whose personal net worth is approximately $4.7 billion—is a longtime major New York political donor who led the World Jewish Congress for nearly two decades and attended Wharton at the University of Pennsylvania alongside President Trump. Lauder reportedly urged President Trump to acquire Greenland during his first term.

According to the Mother Jones reporting, Lauder did not merely plant the idea—he offered himself as a back channel to the Danish government to negotiate, and reportedly proposed traveling to Greenland to help facilitate the purchase personally. President Trump described him to an adviser at the time: "A friend of mine, a really, really experienced businessman, thinks we can get Greenland." Lauder's exact motives were never made clear. The cosmetics mogul has a long history of pouring himself and his money into right-wing causes in New York and abroad, including a failed self-funded 1989 bid for New York City mayor in which he ran to the right of Rudy Giuliani, longtime alignment with Israel's Likud party (he allegedly helped bankroll Benjamin Netanyahu's mid-1990s campaign, which he denied at the time), and his nearly two-decade leadership of the World Jewish Congress. Since 2016 he has donated well over $1 million to pro-Trump organizations; he briefly backed away in 2022 and gave to Nikki Haley's campaign in October 2023, but by January 2025 the rift had healed and he attended President Trump's second inauguration.

By 2019, President Trump was claiming the idea as his own, explaining: "I'm a real estate developer, I look at a corner, I say, I got to get that store." In interviews for The Divider, President Trump said he was enamored by the deal for the size of the island, believing it would be a great real estate transaction that would secure his place in history: "I love maps. And I always said, 'Look at the size of this. It's massive. That should be part of the United States.'" Lauder has not publicly commented on President Trump taking sole credit. Then-Greenlandic Prime Minister Múte B. Egede's response to the first-term overture presaged the island's later resistance: "We don't want to be Americans," Egede said, adding that "Greenland's future will be decided by Greenland."

Bolton, Puerto Rico, and a Casino in Nuuk: President Trump took the first-term pitch seriously enough that he assigned then-national security adviser John Bolton to lead a committee investigating a Greenland purchase. At one point President Trump suggested funding the acquisition by diverting federal money from Puerto Rico, as reported in The Divider. Bolton essentially slow-walked the idea until he resigned in late 2019. In a more recent interview with Bari Weiss of The Free Press, Bolton confirmed that, to his knowledge, Lauder had raised the idea initially—but he offered his own more geopolitical rationale: "With global warming, that Northwest passage becomes a more viable maritime route," the same Arctic-competition framing (citing Chinese and Russian influence) he had used in 2022. Bolton also captured President Trump's underlying interest bluntly, saying the president saw Greenland as "just real estate": "He wants to put a Trump casino in Nuuk."

In January 2026, The Daily Pennsylvanian reported that Lauder, a former Penn donor, "now wants to cash in," examining his financial ties and potential business interest in Greenland—suggesting that private financial motives may have accompanied the original pitch. Lauder, who recently retired from Estée Lauder's board, has not confirmed any such interest.

Second Term Escalation

On December 22, 2024, President Trump announced the appointment of Ken Howery as Ambassador to Denmark, declaring that "ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity" for "purposes of National Security and Freedom throughout the World."

Donald Trump Jr.'s Visit (January 7, 2025): President Trump's eldest son visited Greenland for approximately five hours, describing himself as "just a tourist." His father posted on Truth Social that "the people of Greenland are 'MAGA'" and that "this is a deal that must happen." President Trump called into a luncheon his son attended and told local residents "we're going to treat you well."

Refusal to Rule Out Military Force (January 7, 2025): At a press conference, President Trump refused to rule out using military or economic coercion to acquire Greenland, stating: "I can't assure you... No, I can't assure you on either of those two. But I can say this—we need them for economic security."

Jeff Landry Appointment (December 21, 2025): President Trump appointed Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry as Special Envoy to Greenland. Landry posted on X that he was honored to serve in "this volunteer position to make Greenland a part of the U.S." Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen summoned the U.S. Ambassador and called the appointment "completely unacceptable."

Vice President Vance's Visit (March 28, 2025): Vice President JD Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance traveled to Pituffik Space Base, the Department of Defense's northernmost installation. The trip was scaled back from an originally planned visit to a dog sled race after Greenlandic officials called the plans "highly aggressive". At the base, Vance delivered the administration's most direct message yet: "Our message to Denmark is very simple: You have not done a good job by the people of Greenland. You have underinvested in the people of Greenland, and you have underinvested in the security architecture of this incredible, beautiful landmass."

March 2025 Greenland Election

Greenland held parliamentary elections on March 11, 2025, in what Prime Minister Múte Bourup Egede called a "fateful choice" amid President Trump's annexation threats. The center-right Demokraatit party won an upset victory—their first—on a platform of gradual independence from Denmark and rejection of U.S. pressure. The governing coalition lost a combined 31 percentage points, a historic defeat.

Demokraatit leader Jens-Frederik Nielsen, 33, became prime minister. He had previously called President Trump "a threat to our political independence" and campaigned on the message: "We don't want independence tomorrow, we want a good foundation."

Analysts noted that fear of losing autonomy to the United States overtook dissatisfaction with Denmark as the election progressed. Ulrik Pram Gad, a senior researcher at the Danish Institute for Strategic Studies, said if President Trump "had any idea that his invitations and threats would be welcomed... he's done himself a disservice." Greenlanders "are pushed away and more reluctant to engage with the U.S."

January 2026 Crisis

White House Meeting (January 14, 2026): Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen and Greenlandic Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt met with Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the White House. After the meeting, Rasmussen stated that they "didn't manage to change the American position" and that "it's clear the president has this wish of conquering Greenland."

Tariff Threats (January 17, 2026): President Trump announced 10% tariffs on Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Finland, effective February 1, 2026, rising to 25% on June 1 "until such time as a Deal is reached for the Complete and Total purchase of Greenland."

The Nobel Peace Prize Message (January 19, 2026): President Trump sent a text message to Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre that was later confirmed by the Norwegian government and the White House:

"Dear Jonas: Considering your Country decided not to give me the Nobel Peace Prize for having stopped 8 Wars PLUS, I no longer feel an obligation to think purely of Peace, although it will always be predominant, but can now think about what is good and proper for the United States of America."

The message concluded: "The World is not secure unless we have Complete and Total Control of Greenland."

Støre responded publicly that "the prize is awarded by an independent Nobel Committee and not the Norwegian Government." Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent called it "a complete canard that the president would be doing this because of the Nobel," while simultaneously acknowledging he did not "know anything about the president's letter to Norway."

The Davos De-Escalation

On January 21, 2026, President Trump gave a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in which he ruled out using military force to acquire Greenland:

"We probably won't get anything unless I decide to use excessive strength and force, where we would be, frankly, unstoppable. But I won't do that... People thought I would use force. I don't have to use force. I don't want to use force. I won't use force."

Hours later, after meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, President Trump announced a "framework of a future deal" on Greenland and withdrew his threatened tariffs on the eight European nations. President Trump said the framework addressed "security and minerals and everything else" and would involve Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff in future negotiations.

What the "Framework" Contains:

The specifics remain unclear. A NATO spokesperson told Al Jazeera that Rutte "did not propose any compromise to sovereignty" and that discussions would focus on "ensuring Arctic security through the collective efforts of Allies." When asked if Denmark would continue to exercise sovereignty over Greenland under the framework, Rutte said the "issue did not come up."

CNN reported that no actual document exists and that the information available indicates the supposed deal "sounds a lot like what the United States already had," describing the affair as "one of the most erratic episodes involving a modern president on the world stage."

Behind the Scenes:

Reuters reported that President Trump's reversal followed pressure from his own aides. Vice President Vance and Secretary of State Rubio had been "pushing for a middle ground," while White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller had shown willingness to keep military force on the table.

NBC News reported that President Trump had asked Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine to present potential options and impacts of using military force to seize Greenland, ultimately resulting in President Trump deciding against an invasion after the military leadership raised concerns about legality and feasibility.

Former U.S. NATO Ambassador R. Nicholas Burns said President Trump had "clearly backed down in the face of tough military, economic and political resistance from the Europeans that the Trump administration had not calculated."

European Reaction:

European leaders welcomed the de-escalation but warned the damage had been done. Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof said: "It is positive that we are now on the path to de-escalation and that the 10 percent import tariffs are off the table."

Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard noted President Trump's demands had received "well-earned criticism" and that "we will not be blackmailed."

Finnish President Alexander Stubb warned that "it's not over yet," while Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney declared at Davos: "We are in the midst of a rupture, not a transition."

Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said it was "positive" that President Trump took military force off the table but cautioned that "the president's ambition is intact" and "that does not make the problem go away."

Renewed Rhetoric After the De-Escalation (July 2026)

Rasmussen's warning that "the president's ambition is intact" proved prescient. On July 7, 2026, during a White House meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President Trump revived his claim that Greenland is "surrounded by China's ships and Russian ships." A CNN fact check by Daniel Dale found the claim has no basis: Danish military commanders, Arctic security experts, Nordic officials, and U.S. officials all say no Chinese or Russian vessels are operating near Greenland. The Greenland assertion was one of five false claims Dale documented in that single meeting, alongside President Trump's repeated claim to have "settled eight wars"—the same count he invoked in his January Nobel Prize message to Norway's prime minister—which the fact check found includes two disputes that were not wars, one ongoing conflict, and conflicts that later resumed.

The return of the debunked "ships" claim, nearly six months after the Davos de-escalation, was accompanied by renewed media attention to the Greenland question, including Mother Jones recirculating its Ronald Lauder origin-story reporting on July 9, 2026. The episode indicates that while the tariff threats and military option remain withdrawn, President Trump has not abandoned the rhetorical case for acquiring the island.

Absence from National Security Strategy

Despite President Trump's repeated assertions that Greenland is "an absolute necessity" for U.S. national security, the territory is not mentioned in the administration's November 2025 National Security Strategy. The 29-page document extensively discusses the Western Hemisphere, Europe, and Arctic security concerns but contains no reference to Greenland or any plan for its acquisition.

The strategy does reference the "Trump Corollary" to the Monroe Doctrine for the Western Hemisphere and mentions the importance of Arctic security in the context of European defense, but Greenland is conspicuously absent.

Greenland's Response

Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen, who took office following the March 2025 election, has consistently rejected U.S. acquisition, stating: "Greenland does not want to be owned by the USA. Greenland does not want to be governed by the USA. Greenland will not be part of the USA."

In January 2026, facing the choice between Denmark and the United States, Nielsen stated: "We choose Denmark. We choose NATO. We choose the Kingdom of Denmark. We choose the EU."

A joint statement from all parties in the Parliament of Greenland demanded the U.S. show respect and stated they "do not want to become part of the US" and "do not want to be Americans."

"Hands Off Greenland" Protests

On January 17, 2026, the largest protests in Greenlandic history took place in Nuuk and cities across Denmark. Approximately 5,000 people—nearly 25% of Nuuk's population—marched to the U.S. Consulate, chanting "Greenland is not for sale" and carrying signs reading "Yankee Go Home" and "Make America Go Away."

Thousands more protested in Copenhagen, Aarhus, Aalborg, and Odense. Protesters wore red hats parodying President Trump's MAGA merchandise that read "Make America Go Away." Greenlandic Prime Minister Nielsen attended and cheered the Nuuk protest.

Tillie Martinussen, a former member of Greenland's parliament, told Al Jazeera: "They started out by sort of touting themselves as our friends and allies, saying they wanted to make Greenland better for us than the Danes would. And now they're just outright threatening us... This is a fight for freedom. It's for NATO; it's for everything the Western Hemisphere has been fighting for since the second world war."

European Response

The leaders of Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom issued a joint statement on January 19, 2026:

"We are committed to strengthening Arctic security as a shared transatlantic interest... We are ready to engage in a dialogue based on the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity that we stand firmly behind."

They warned that President Trump's tariff threats "undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral."

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen stated: "Europe will not be blackmailed." She also warned that a U.S. attack on Greenland would mean "the end of everything"—a reference to the potential dissolution of NATO.

Operation Arctic Endurance: In response to U.S. threats, Denmark organized military exercises in Greenland involving troops from multiple European allies, including Sweden and other NATO members. President Trump characterized these as "a very dangerous situation for the Safety, Security, and Survival of our Planet."

Congressional Response

Early Republican Enthusiasm — the "Make Greenland Great Again Act" (January 2025): In the opening days of the second term, some House Republicans embraced the acquisition in explicitly expansionist terms. Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) sponsored the "Make Greenland Great Again Act," which would formally authorize President Trump to "enter negotiations" with the king of Denmark over Greenland. Rep. Mike Rulli (R-Ohio) framed the bill in the language of Manifest Destiny, asking, "Does anyone regret the Louisiana Purchase or the acquisition of Alaska?" and arguing the acquisition would "restore national pride and optimism." "President Trump's vision for Greenland is exactly what is needed to reignite the spirit of Manifest Destiny that once propelled Americans to greatness," Rulli said. By January 2026, as detailed below, that early enthusiasm had given way to bipartisan resistance to any use of force.

A bipartisan delegation of U.S. lawmakers traveled to Copenhagen in January 2026 to meet with Danish and Greenlandic officials.

Republican Opposition:

Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) stated: "I think you will find that support in Congress to acquire Greenland in any way is not there."

House Speaker Mike Johnson pushed back on military action: "We're not at war with Greenland. We have no intention—we have no reason to be at war with Greenland... I don't think anybody's seriously considering that. And in the Congress, we're certainly not."

Democratic Opposition:

Senator Chris Coons (D-DE), leading the congressional delegation, warned: "If the United States were to carry out any of the current threats against Greenland, it would sever NATO. We don't want to do that."

Senator Mark Warner (D-VA), vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, called President Trump's claims about Russian and Chinese ships surrounding Greenland "fictitious."

Public Opinion

Polling data shows overwhelming opposition to acquiring Greenland:

American Public:

• A Reuters/Ipsos poll found only 17% of Americans supported efforts to acquire Greenland, with 47% opposed
• Only 4% approved of using military force, with just 8% of Republican voters agreeing
• A January 2026 YouGov poll found 8% of Americans supported President Trump's threatened invasion, with 73% opposed

Greenlandic Public:

• According to Al Jazeera, 85% of Greenlanders oppose joining the U.S., with only 6% in favor
• Most Greenlanders favor eventual independence from Denmark but reject U.S. control

Strategic Context

Existing U.S. Military Presence: The United States already maintains Pituffik Space Base (formerly Thule Air Base) in northwest Greenland, the Department of Defense's northernmost installation, which supports missile warning, missile defense, and space surveillance missions under a 1951 defense agreement with Denmark.

Former U.S. Ambassador to NATO Nick Burns told TIME: "I think it's clear that we do not need to invade Greenland or even to buy it to get what President Trump says he wants."

Claims About Russian and Chinese Threats: President Trump has repeatedly claimed that "Greenland is covered with Russian and Chinese ships all over the place." However, analysts and Greenlanders have disputed these claims. Hans Nørgaard, a Greenlandic resident who frequently goes sailing and hunting, told the Associated Press: "What has come out of the mouth of Donald Trump about all these ships is just fantasy." When President Trump repeated the claim at his July 7, 2026 meeting with Erdogan, CNN's fact check again found no basis for it, citing Danish military commanders, Arctic security experts, Nordic officials, and U.S. officials.

Economic Considerations: Analysts have noted that developing Greenland's resources could cost at least $1 trillion over two decades with uncertain economic returns due to the harsh environment, lack of infrastructure, and limited workforce.

Expert Analysis: Tyler Cowen

Economist Tyler Cowen, writing for The Free Press on January 8, 2026, argued that while Greenland might eventually benefit from U.S. affiliation, "now is not the time and furthermore that should happen voluntarily, not coercively."

Cowen proposed letting Greenlanders choose independence on their own terms, noting that 56% of Greenlanders favored independence from Denmark in a 2024 survey, with only 28% opposed. He pointed to Denmark's historical mistreatment of Greenland—including the forced separation of Inuit children from their families 75 years ago—as reasons why Greenlanders might eventually seek alternatives.

However, Cowen warned that coercion was counterproductive. He drew an analogy to his own fieldwork in a Mexican village where General Motors sought to buy land for a racetrack:

"The villagers felt they were not being respected, they did not trust the terms of any deal, and they feared their ways of life would change irrevocably. The promise of better roads, schools, and doctors—in addition to whatever payments they might have negotiated—simply fell flat."

On January 19, 2026, Cowen noted that Greenland held a 1982 referendum to leave the European Economic Community (which it did in 1985), demonstrating that Greenlanders have historically been willing to make significant choices about their political future—but on their own terms: "I write this not to justify current American policy, which I consider a major mistake with extremely poor execution. Rather the point is that we are pushing the Greenlanders into the arms of the Danes, when over some longer haul it could be very different."

Cowen's assessment that "the courtship could take 20 or 30 years" stands in sharp contrast to President Trump's demands for immediate ownership.

Historical Precedent

The United States has previously sought to acquire Greenland:

• 1867: Secretary of State William Seward advocated for purchasing Greenland after the Alaska purchase
• 1910: Renewed discussions within the U.S. government
• World War II: The U.S. occupied Greenland following Germany's invasion of Denmark and built military facilities
• 1946: President Harry Truman secretly offered Denmark $100 million for Greenland; the proposal was rejected and only became public in 1991
• 1955: The Joint Chiefs of Staff proposed acquiring the island

No previous administration threatened military force or imposed tariffs to compel the transfer.