President Trump discussed several of his top foreign policy priorities in public comments over the weekend, including his desire to purchase Greenland and the possibility of turning Canada into a U.S. state.
The president made the comments in a roughly 20-minute question-and-answer session with reporters aboard Air Force One on his way to Miami Saturday evening.
Trump on Greenland: “I think we’re going to have it”
Trump has said as far back as 2019 that he wants the U.S. to buy Greenland, a massive Arctic island that is an autonomous territory of Denmark.
Though Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen replied at the time that Greenland is “not for sale,” Trump indicated on Saturday that he’s still keen to make Greenland a part of the United States.
“I think Greenland will be worked out with us. I think we’re going to have it. And I think the people want to be with us,” Trump said.
Greenland contains critical natural resources such as rare earth minerals and uranium. Trump says the U.S. could provide security to the island and beyond.
“I don’t know really what claim Denmark has to it. But it would be a very unfriendly act if they didn’t allow that to happen because it’s for protection of the free world. It’s not for us, it’s for the free world,” Trump said.
The Financial Times reported on Friday that Trump reiterated his interest in acquiring Greenland during a phone call with Frederiksen earlier this month.
Canada would benefit from becoming a U.S. state, Trump says
Trump has repeatedly threatened to impose tariffs on Canada in his second term, saying on Saturday that the northern neighbor of the U.S. has been “treating us very unfairly on trade.”
“I love Canada. I have so many friends up in Canada. And they like us. They like me. But Canada has been taking advantage of the United States for years, and we’re not going to let that happen,” he added.
