Trump Jr. to visit Greenland after dad says US should own the territory

Donald Trump Jr. is planning a trip to Greenland two weeks after his father reiterated his desire for the US to take control of the autonomous Danish territory.

According to US media reports, the US President’s son plans to record video footage for a podcast during a one-day private visit.

Donald Trump reignited controversy in December when he said that “ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity” for US national security.

He had expressed interest in purchasing Arctic islands during his first term as President. On both occasions, Greenland’s leaders rebuked Trump.

The island’s prime minister, Mute Egede, said in December, “We are not for sale and we will not be for sale.” “Greenland belongs to the people of Greenland.”

President-elect Trump confirmed his son’s visit on his Truth Social social media platform on Monday.

He said Don Jr. and “various representatives” would travel to Greenland “to visit some of the most spectacular areas and sights.”

Trump said that Greenland and its people “will benefit greatly if and when it becomes part of our country”.

“We will protect it from the extremely dangerous outside world and preserve it,” he said. “Make Greenland Great Again!”

The president-elect’s post also included a video in which an unnamed Greenlander — wearing a red Make America Great Again hat — is asking Trump to buy Greenland and free it from “being colonized” by Denmark.

The identity of the man in the clip is not clear.

Greenland lies on the shortest route from North America to Europe, making it strategically important for the US. It is also home to a large US space facility.

The eldest son of the President-elect played a key role during the 2024 US election campaign, frequently appearing at rallies and in the media.

But according to the Danish Foreign Ministry, he will not travel to Greenland on behalf of his father’s incoming administration.

“We have noted Donald Trump Jr.’s planned visit to Greenland. As this is not an official US visit, the Danish Foreign Ministry has no further comment on this visit,” the ministry told BBC News.

Hours after President-elect Trump’s latest intervention, the Danish government announced Huge increase in defense spending for GreenlandDanish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen described the timing of the announcement as an “irony of fate”.

On Monday, Denmark’s King Frederick

Some have seen this as a rebuke of Trump, but it could also prove controversial with Greenland’s separatist movement.

King Frederick used his New Year’s address to say that the Kingdom of Denmark is “united all the way to Greenland”, adding, “We are together”.

But Greenland’s prime minister used his own New Year’s speech to call for independence from Denmark, saying the island should be freed from the “shackles of colonialism.”

Trump is not the first US President to suggest buying Greenland. The idea was first presented by the country’s 17th President Andrew Johnson in the 1860s.

In recent weeks, Trump separately Threatened to re-establish control over the Panama CanalOne of the most important waterways in the world. He has accused Panama of charging excessive fees for access to it.

The President of Panama responded by saying that “every square meter” of the canal and surrounding area belonged to his country.