Donald Trump and Greenland. Main image: the Flag of Greenland, known nationally as "Erfalasorput", flies above homes on March 28 in Nuuk, Greenland. Inset: President Donald Trump calls on a reporter to ask a question during a cabinet meeting at the White House on March 24 in Washington, D.C. Leon Neal/Getty Images
President Donald Trump continues to double-down on his desire for the United States to take over control of Greenland, but polling shows the idea is deeply unpopular with Americans and Greenlanders.
Newsweek has reached out to the White House for comment on Saturday.
Why It Matters
The Trump administration has said the U.S. needs to acquire Greenland from longtime ally Denmark for international security reasons. Vice President JD Vance traveled to the Danish territory on Friday with a delegation to reiterate the administration's position, which Greenland's and Denmark's leaders have rejected.
"Why does Greenland matter so much?" Vance said during remarks at a U.S. Space Force base in the territory. "We know that Russia and China and other nations are taking an extraordinary interest in Arctic passageways, Arctic naval routes, and in the minerals of the Arctic territories."
What To Know
Greenland governs its own domestic affairs, but Copenhagen decides on foreign and defense policy. Five of the six main parties who participated in March's election back independence from Denmark but disagree on how to reach it.
Trump first floated the idea of the U.S. acquiring Greenland during his first term in 2019. However, talk of the idea largely disappeared until he won a second term in 2024 and began doubling down on the plan. His rhetoric and efforts in recent weeks have rattled Denmark as well as other European allies.
What Do Americans Think?
Recent polls show few Americans favor the idea of the U.S. taking over Greenland.
A Fox News survey conducted from March 14 to 17 showed that 70 percent of registered voters opposed Trump's goal. Just 26 percent of respondents supported the Greenland plan.
Notably, this was the least popular idea polled by Fox News in the survey. Renaming the Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America and working to shutter the Department of Education were a close second and third, at 67 percent and 65 percent opposed, respectively.
The poll included 994 registered voters with a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
Another recent poll carried out by Yahoo News/YouGov also showed the idea underwater by double-digits, although it had less outright opposition. In that survey, 19 percent said they favored the idea while 49 percent said they opposed—a 30-point margin. An additional 32 percent said they were not sure.
The poll included 1,677 U.S. adults and had a margin of error of plus or minus 2.7 percentage points.
What Do Greenlanders Think?
In a poll, conducted between January 22 and 26 by Verian for Danish newspaper Berlingske and Greenlandic newspaper Sermitsiaqt, 85 percent of respondents said they do not support joining the U.S., while only 6 percent said they would back such a move and 9 percent said they were undecided.
The poll, which surveyed 497 Greenlanders, revealed that 45 percent of respondents said they view Trump's interest in their territory as a threat, while only 8 percent would accept a U.S. passport if given the choice between American and Danish citizenship.
What People Are Saying
CNN polling analyst Harry Enten in a Friday X, formerly Twitter, post:"Just 6% of Greenlanders want to join the United States. There are more people who think we faked the moon landing (~10%). 85% of Greenlanders are opposed. Meanwhile, less than 30% of Americans want Greenland to join the U.S. I've rarely seen anything so unpopular."
Vice President JD Vance in Greenland remarks on Friday: "Our message to Denmark is very simple. You have not done a good job by the people of Greenland."
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen on Friday: "We are open to criticism(...)let me be completely honest: We do not appreciate the tone in which it's being delivered(...)this is not how you speak to your close allies."
Greenland's newly elected Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen on Friday: "It is very important that we put aside our disagreements and differences ... because only in this way will we be able to cope with the heavy pressure we are exposed to from outside."
What Happens Next?
The Trump administration is expected to continue to push for control of Greenland, but with the current opposition from Denmark's and Greenland's leaders, it's unclear how such a plan would move forward.
The president's efforts are expected to continue to raise tensions with Denmark and Europe for the foreseeable future.
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This story was originally published March 29, 2025 at 12:43 PM.