Donald Trump Jr. wasted no time promoting his father’s plans to acquire Greenland. After visiting the country on Tuesday, he said the quiet part out loud, noting that the Danish territory has priceless “rare minerals” in the ground.
Trump Jr. argued during a Newsmax interview that Denmark has prevented the Arctic island “from utilizing the great natural resources that they have, whether that’s coal, whether that’s uranium, whether that’s other rare minerals, whether that’s gold or diamonds.”
The son of President-elect Donald Trump, who refused Tuesday in a press conference to rule out military force to absorb Greenland, even claimed that U.S. control would benefit “both the people of Greenland as well as the people of the United States.”
“I think there’s definitely a path for my father and his administration to do something there that benefits both,” Donald Trump Jr. said on Newsmax, adding: “Both from a trade and commerce standpoint, from a military and strategic location, it actually seems like a total no-brainer.”
Greenland has been a territory of Denmark for centuries but gained its own parliament and rights to home rule in 1979. It’s also a bastion of invaluable minerals that wealthy industrialists reportedly believe could power hundreds of millions of electric vehicles.
Elon Musk, who has become a close confidante of Donald Trump, owns Tesla — one of the largest electric vehicle companies in the world. The tech billionaire endorsed and promoted plans to acquire Greenland on his social media platform.
Donald Trump previously said, “For purposes of National Security and Freedom throughout the World, the United States of America feels that the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity,” and doubled down Tuesday.
While he has floated the idea since 2019, the people of Greenland have been pondering their own independence — with Prime Minister Múte Egede hoping to remove the “shackles” of colonialism during a New Year’s address, per Politico.
The country can only declare true independence after a successful referendum, according to an agreement with Denmark in 2009, but Egede reportedly hinted last week that such a referendum could be held as early as April, the same month of parliamentary elections.
The Countdown To Trump Is On
Already contributed? Log in to hide these messages.
While Donald Trump Jr. claimed Tuesday, “These people are saying, ‘We just want a better future for ourselves, and Denmark doesn’t allow us to do anything,’” Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen reminded him that “Greenland is not for sale” — and she’s far from alone.
“Most people don’t want it,” Aaja Chemnitz, a Greenlandic member of the Danish parliament, told The Associated Press. “I think some people find it quite disrespectful. And the way it has been done, and just the fact that you’re saying that you can buy another country.”