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President Donald Trump has left the door open to using military force in pursuit of acquiring Greenland and Canada, though he said an attack on Ottawa is “highly unlikely.”
Speaking to host Kristen Welker on NBC’s Meet the Press in an interview aired Sunday, the president reiterated his long-standing interest in Greenland, calling it a critical asset for international security.
“We Need Greenland Very Badly,” Trump
“I don’t rule it out,” Trump said when asked whether he would consider the use of force to annex Greenland. “I don’t say I’m going to do it, but I don’t rule out anything. No, not there. We need Greenland very badly. Greenland is a very small amount of people, which we’ll take care of, and we’ll cherish them, and all of that. But we need that for international security.”
Trump has made no secret of his desire to acquire Greenland since his re-election in November. In March, during a radio interview, he asserted, “We need it. We have to have it.” That same month, a delegation led by Vice President JD Vance visited a U.S. Space Force base on the island, known for its strategic Arctic location and significant mineral reserves.
Canada Merger “Highly Unlikely,” But Not Off the Table, Says Trump
While Greenland remains in Trump’s crosshairs, Canada appears to be a different matter — for now.
“I don’t see it with Canada. I just don’t see it, I have to be honest with you,” Trump told Welker. Despite this, he did not entirely shut down the possibility of a merger with America’s northern neighbor. “I’ll always talk about that,” he said. “You know why? We subsidize Canada to the tune of $200 billion a year. We don’t need their cars. In fact, we don’t want their cars. We don’t need their energy. We don’t even want their energy. We have more than they do.”
The president’s claim that the U.S. subsidizes Canada by $200 billion annually — likely referencing the trade deficit — has been widely disputed and lacks factual basis. Nevertheless, Trump continues to cite the figure when discussing U.S.-Canada relations.
Political Impact in Canada
Trump’s repeated remarks about absorbing Canada have had political consequences north of the border. The resulting surge in Canadian patriotism helped the Liberal Party, under new leader Mark Carney, secure a fourth consecutive term in government. The party’s previous three terms were led by Justin Trudeau.
Conservative candidate Pierre Poilievre, who once held a double-digit lead, not only saw his party lose the election but also lost his own parliamentary seat in last week’s national vote.
Carney, a former banker, issued a stern warning after Trump’s electoral win.
“These are not idle threats,” Carney said. “President Trump is trying to break us so that America can own us. That will never, that will never, ever happen. But we also must recognize the reality that our world has fundamentally changed.”
Also Read: ‘I Don’t Know’: Trump Refuses To Commit To Upholding Constitution
