President Donald Trump reiterated his argument for the U.S. taking over Greenland on Wednesday, just before Vice President JD Vance is set to visit the island.
Trump said his administration must ‘let them know that we need Greenland for international safety and security. We need it. We have to have it.’ Vance and his wife, second lady Usha Vance, will visit a U.S. space facility based on the island.
‘It’s [an] island from a defensive posture and even offensive posture is something we need. … When you look at the ships going up their shore by the hundreds, it’s a busy place,’ he added, speaking in an interview with radio host Vince Coglianese.
Trump went on to say that he is unsure whether the people of Greenland want to become U.S. citizens, but he argued it is important to ‘convince them.’
‘We have to have the land because it’s not possible to properly defend a large section of this Earth — not just the U.S. — without it. So we have to have it, and I think we will have it,’ he said.
The vice president says he will visit Space Force guardians at the Pituffik Space Base on Friday and ‘check out what’s goin’ on with the security there of Greenland.’
A press release from Vance’s office stated that the base is the Defense Department’s ‘northernmost installation.’
‘The Vice President and Second Lady’s visit to Pituffik Space Base will take place in lieu of the Second Lady’s previously announced visit to the Avannaata Qimussersu dogsled race in Sisimiut,’ the press release stated.
‘The strategic partnership between the United States and Greenland has long played a vital role in our national and economic security. During World War Two, the United States established over a dozen military bases in Greenland to defend the North Atlantic from Nazi incursion. During the Cold War, the United States committed additional resources to Greenland to defend against Soviet missile attacks,’ the release declared.
‘In the decades since, neglect and inaction from Danish leaders and past U.S. administrations have presented our adversaries with the opportunity to advance their own priorities in Greenland and the Arctic. President Trump is rightly changing course.’
Fox News’ Sarah Tobianski and Alex Nitzberg contributed to this report