Trump Escalates Greenland Push, Refuses to Rule Out Military or Economic Pressure

President Trump says he needs Greenland for national security, but he’s also said the U.S. will get it “one way or another” — language that has European allies and Democrats accusing him of picking fights with friend and foe alike.

Quick Take

Trump has repeatedly said the U.S. must control Greenland, citing Russian and Chinese ships near the island.
He has not ruled out using military or economic pressure on Denmark to get it.
Trump confirmed he authorized covert Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) operations against Venezuela’s government.
Polls show most Americans, including many Republicans, don’t back a Greenland takeover.

Trump’s Greenland Push Keeps Escalating

Trump has pushed to bring Greenland under U.S. control since early 2025, saying the island’s location and resources matter for American safety. In December, he told reporters flatly: “We need Greenland for national security, not for minerals… We have to have it,” pointing to Russian and Chinese ships near its coast. He named a special envoy to lead the effort that same month.

Back in March, Trump promised Greenlanders wealth and protection in exchange for U.S. control, saying “we will enrich you” and that Washington would “secure it, one way or another”. Reuters reported earlier that his interest was tied to growing America’s global influence, not just defense, and that his team weighed diplomatic or economic pressure on Denmark to make it happen.

Allies Alarmed, Public Skeptical

Greenland’s own leaders and European officials reacted with alarm after a high-profile U.S. delegation visit in March 2025, seeing the push as a break from normal diplomacy between allies. Trump has said the U.S. “not ruled out using military or economic power” to pressure Denmark into giving up the territory. That kind of talk between NATO allies is rare and has kept the issue alive in Danish politics well into 2026.

American voters aren’t sold on the idea. A January 2026 poll found only 17% of adults supported Trump’s effort to acquire Greenland, and even among Republicans, support reached just two-fifths. Barely 4% of all respondents, and 8% of Republicans, thought using military force to take it was a sensible strategy. The numbers suggest Trump’s rhetoric is running well ahead of public appetite for it.

Venezuela Pressure Campaign Deepens

Trump’s approach to Venezuela has followed a similar pattern of public pressure paired with harder action behind the scenes. In October 2025, he confirmed he had authorized covert CIA operations inside Venezuela, a major admission for a sitting president to make openly. By December, he was telling reporters it would be “smart” for President Nicolás Maduro to step down, warning him not to “play tough”.

Around the same time, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth briefed lawmakers behind closed doors on the administration’s Venezuela strategy, a sign officials were treating the campaign as serious statecraft rather than loose talk. Still, the public record doesn’t show the legal basis, exact targets, or results of the covert authorization Trump has already confirmed exists.

Security Claim or Power Grab?

Supporters argue Trump’s Greenland and Venezuela moves are just tougher versions of ordinary great-power bargaining, not a break from American tradition. History does offer precedent for negotiated land deals, including the Louisiana Purchase and the 1867 purchase of Alaska, both completed through agreement rather than force. Trump’s defenders point to that history and to his security warnings about foreign ships near Greenland as proof he’s playing defense, not offense.

Critics counter that threats of force and covert action are a different category from historical purchases, and that classified authorizations make it hard for Congress or the public to check the president’s power in real time. Whether voters see this as smart deterrence or dangerous overreach, both sides agree the country’s decisions on war, peace, and territory are increasingly made behind closed doors, far from public view or a congressional vote.