Senator Roger Wicker chairs the Armed Services Committee Hearings to examine the nominations of Bradley Hansell, of Virginia, to be Under Secretary for Intelligence and Security, Earl Matthews, of Virginia, to be General Counsel, and Dale Marks, of Florida, to be an Assistant Secretary, all of the Department of Defense, and Brandon Williams, of New York, to be Under Secretary of Energy for Nuclear Security, in Washington, DC on April 8, 2025. (Official U.S. Senate photo by David Rogowski)
- President Trump’s desire to acquire Greenland has drawn criticism and skepticism from allies around the globe.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Monday that President Donald Trump (R) has not set a timeline to acquire Greenland but it is “definitely a priority for him.”
“I think the president was very clear last night,” she continued. “He said that he wants to see the United States acquire Greenland because he feels if we do not then it will eventually be acquired or even perhaps hostilely taken over by either China or Russia, which is not a good thing for the United States or for Europe or for Greenland as well.”
The world’s largest island is part of the North American continent but is a territory of Denmark. Roughly 80 percent of the island is covered in ice, leaving its population of nearly 57,000 to inhabit a small portion of the habitable land.
Trump’s desire to acquire Greenland has drawn criticism and skepticism from allies around the globe, and even at home within his own political party. Leaders of Greenland and Denmark have repeatedly said the island is not for sale and have no interest in the U.S. pursuing the transaction further.
Mississippi U.S. Senator Roger Wicker (R), chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, made headlines last week when he said Denmark and Greenland have the right to refuse negotiations with the United States over the status of Greenland, as reported by The Hill.
“That’s their prerogative, and they’re right, and they’ve made that very clear to us,” Wicker told reporters.
His comments came after a meeting with Jacob Isbosethsen, head of representation of Greenland to the U.S. and Canada, and Denmark’s ambassador to the U.S., Jesper Møller Sørensen, The Hill noted.
According to The Hill, Senator Wicker said there are more important issues to focus on like aggression from Russia, China and Iran, and that time should not be spent on antagonizing allies.
“That’s my message to the President of the United States: I think our intention should be on those very, very serious issues,” Wicker said, per The Hill. “And when we have a discussion with allies, and they’ve made their position very, very clear, as friends, I think it is incumbent on us to honor the wishes of our very, very close allies.”
