Trump Says U.S. Needs To Control Greenland For 'National Security and Freedom Throughout The World'

President-elect Donald Trump again expressed interest in the U.S. taking control of Greenland, saying it should be the case "for purposes of National Security and Freedom throughout the World."

Trump brought back the issue in a post announcing his choosing of Ken Howery to be the next ambassador to Denmark, which controls the autonomous territory. Greenland Prime Minister Mute Egede quickly rejected the notion, saying in a statement that the territory "is ours."

"We are not for sale and will never be for sale. We must no lose our long struggle for freedom," he added in a written statement.

it is far from the first time Trump expresses his intention of getting Greenland to fall under U.S. control. He said in 2019 that the island is "interesting" from a strategical standpoint. "We'd be interested, but we'll have to talk to them a little bit," Trump added, saying "they're losing a tremendous amount of money."

Denmark already said the territory was not for sale back then, prompting Trump to cancel a visit to the country. "Based on Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen's comments, that she would have no interest in discussing the purchase of Greenland, I will be postponing our meeting scheduled in two weeks for another time," he said back then.

The U.S. attempted to purchase Greenland twice before Trump. Once in 1867 and then in 1946. Then-President Harry Truman offered $100 million, but the offer was rejected by Denmark.

Miles Taylor, chief of staff at the Department of Homeland Security in the first Trump administration, said in 2020 that the then-president asked him if Greenland could be swapped for Puerto Rico because the latter was "dirty" and its people "poor."