By Micah Blake Allred

January 27, 2026

A comprehensive guide to the U.S.-Greenland debacle, and how average Americans can help support Greenlanders in their hour of need.

Lost in the chaotic public debate surrounding President Donald Trump’s ego-driven obsession with taking Greenland is the question: What can the average American do to help Greenlanders in their hour of need?

What started as an offhand “real estate” fantasy has hardened into a multi‑track campaign to carve out a territory on an inhabited Arctic island that has already voted (twice) for self‑government and a legal path to full independence (Denmark, 2009; Danish Prime Minister’s Office, 2024). This is not just about changing a map, but about whether the United States will openly embrace 19th-century-style conquest, whether we still respect our friends, NATO, and basic treaty law, and whether everyday Americans are willing to let one man’s imperial nostalgia for the terrors of Manifest Destiny overthrow the democratic will of 57,000 Greenlanders. Thankfully, Americans have multiple lawful means for pursuing our objections.

Trump’s Greenland Obsession

Aides from President Trump’s first term described his fixation on Greenland as so unserious that they tried to laugh it off or steer him toward a saner Arctic policy (NBC News, 2026). In an interview with The New York Times, Trump returned to the idea, dismissing the existing 1951 defense agreement with Denmark—which allows the U.S. to operate Thule Air Base in northern Greenland—as inadequate because Trump claims “ownership is very important” and that it is “psychologically needed for success” (The New York Times, 2026; U.S. and Denmark, 1951).

What once sounded like an obnoxious sketch on Saturday Night Live has since turned into an obnoxious diplomatic project. Reporting from The Washington Post in January 2026 showed Trump officials probing a deal to grant the U.S. “sovereign control” over pockets of Greenlandic territory for bases (Washington Post, 2026; Shaheen and Murkowski, 2026). In other words, even if Denmark kept nominal sovereignty on paper, there would be U.S.-run enclaves on Greenlandic soil where Greenlandic law, rules, and local authorities would be shut out.

At the World Economic Forum in Davos this month, Trump claimed he had a “framework” agreement on such bases and called the U.S. “stupid” for supposedly giving up Greenland after World War II (BBC, 2026). Fact‑checkers pointed out that this history exists only in his imagination: in 1941 the U.S. signed a defense agreement that explicitly affirmed “the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Denmark over Greenland,” even as U.S. forces operated bases there under Danish authority (U.S. and Denmark, 1941).

Trump promised in Davos that he would not take Greenland through military force (BBC, 2026). But that reassurance rings hollow coming from a man with a history of betraying the deals he recently swore by, such as the United States-Mexico-Canada-Agreement (USCMA, 2020). If the message of Trump’s Davos speech did not destroy the last shreds of his credibility with Europeans, his lack of attention to details was sure to: he confused the name of “Greenland” with “Iceland” multiple times in the same speech, and told the largely German-speaking Swiss audience that, if not for America, “you’d all be speaking German” (NBC News, 2026).

Greenland Belongs to Greenlanders

In 1979, Greenlanders voted for Home Rule, taking control of internal administration and social policy. In 2008, they voted by a 75 percent majority on a nearly 72 percent turnout to adopt the Self‑Government Act, which expanded their authority over natural resources, recognized Greenlandic as the official language, and, crucially, codified that any decision on independence from Denmark “shall be taken by the people of Greenland” and must be endorsed by both the Greenlandic parliament and a Danish vote (Denmark, 2009; Library of Congress, 2019).

Successive Danish prime ministers have said publicly that Greenland’s future “belongs to the people of Greenland,” and current law frames the kingdom’s relationship with Nuuk as a partnership between equals, not a colonial chain of command (Danish Prime Minister’s Office, 2024). When Trump insists that the U.S. must now “own” Greenland, he is not just insulting Denmark; he is trying to overturn two democratic referendums and a hard‑won autonomy arrangement negotiated over decades.

Greenlandic and Inuit leaders are not shy about saying so. Sara Olsvig, chair of the Inuit Circumpolar Council, responded to Trump’s latest demands by saying there is “no such thing as a better colonizer” and rejecting “the premise that you can buy and sell peoples” (Inuit Circumpolar Council, 2026). Greenland’s prime minister has been equally blunt: neither Denmark nor the U.S. will decide Greenland’s future. Greenlanders will—and they “will not be colonized a second time” (Al Jazeera, 2026; NBC News, 2026).

So What Can You Actually Do?

Start with Congress. There are already bills on the table that would slam the door on Trump’s more extreme plans.

The NATO Unity Protection Act, led by Sens. Jeanne Shaheen and Lisa Murkowski, would prohibit the Pentagon and State Department from spending money to “blockade, occupy, annex or otherwise assert control” over any NATO ally’s territory—explicitly including Greenland (Shaheen and Murkowski, 2026). The Greenland Sovereignty Protection Act, introduced by Rep. Jimmy Gomez, would cut off funding for any attempt to invade, annex or otherwise acquire Greenland without the consent of Denmark and Greenlanders (Gomez, 2026). Amendments from Sen. Ruben Gallego and others would bar the use of force against Greenland without explicit congressional authorization, reinforcing the War Powers Resolution’s limits (Shaheen and Murkowski, 2026).

Call both of your Senators and your House member, whose contact information can be found on Congress.gov utilizing your zip code. Tell them, in plain language, to co‑sponsor these bills and to publicly oppose any “framework” that changes Greenland’s status without a Greenlandic referendum and Danish approval. Tell them you oppose bills like the “Greenland Annexation and Statehood Act,” which would authorize the president to take “whatever steps necessary” to annex Greenland (Fine, 2026).

Second, amplify Greenlandic and Inuit voices rather than speaking over them. Share statements from the Inuit Circumpolar Council, Greenland’s government and diaspora organizations that have organized “Hands off Greenland” protests from Nuuk to Copenhagen (Inuit Circumpolar Council, 2026; Al Jazeera, 2026). Treat Greenlanders as the primary witnesses on what this crisis means, not as props in a U.S.-Europe drama.

Third, support Greenland’s autonomy and economy on its own terms. That can mean donating to Indigenous rights and Arctic climate groups that work directly with Greenlandic communities, buying Greenlandic seafood or handicrafts through reputable importers, and, if you have the means, visiting Greenland as an ethical tourist—staying in locally owned lodging, using Greenlandic guides and respecting fragile ecosystems (PBS, 2026; CSIS, 2026). The more economically self‑reliant Greenland becomes, the easier it is for its people to say no to foreign coercion.

Finally, push back on the imperial framing in your own conversations. Trump’s appeal here depends on what I call a corruption‑immunity shield: a cognitive defense mechanism in which supporters of a political leader reinterpret credible evidence of that leader’s misconduct as illegitimate attacks from hostile institutions. The more we normalize the idea that buying and selling people is just another “deal,” the more we erode the line between a flawed democracy and something darker.

Greenland belongs to Greenlanders. 

That should not be a radical or unpatriotic statement. The real test now is whether Americans are willing to defend that principle—not just in op-eds and social media posts, but in phone calls, protests and votes—before Trump’s imperial fantasy becomes yet another precedent that both parties will come to regret.

Works Cited

Al Jazeera. 2026. “‘Hands off Greenland’: Thousands Join Protests Amid Trump’s Takeover Threats.” Al Jazeera, January 17, 2026. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/1/17/thousands-join-hands-off-greenland-protests-amid-trumps-takeover-threats

BBC News. 2026. “Fact-checking Donald Trump’s Davos Speech.” BBC News, January 21, 2026. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c301jgd1qj6o

CNN/SSRS. 2026. “75% of Americans Oppose US Attempting to Take Control of Greenland.” CNN Politics, January 15, 2026. https://www.cnn.com/2026/01/15/politics/greenland-cnn-poll

CSIS (Center for Strategic and International Studies). 2026. “Greenland, Rare Earths, and Arctic Security.” CSIS Brief, January 7, 2026. https://www.csis.org/analysis/greenland-rare-earths-and-arctic-security

Danish Prime Minister’s Office. 2024. “Greenland.” Statsministeriet (Prime Minister’s Office, English portal), December 17, 2024. https://english.stm.dk/the-prime-ministers-office/the-unity-of-the-realm/greenland/

Denmark. 2009. Act on Greenland Self-Government (Act No. 473 of 12 June 2009). English translation. Ministry of Justice. Copenhagen, Denmark. https://english.stm.dk/media/4vgewyoh/gl-selvstyrelov-uk.pdf

Fine, Randy. 2026. “Congressman Fine Introduces Greenland Annexation and Statehood Act to Strengthen U.S. National Security and Put Our Adversaries on Notice.” Press release, U.S. House of Representatives, January 12, 2026. https://fine.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=118

Gomez, Jimmy. 2026. “Rep. Jimmy Gomez Introduces Bill to Block Any U.S. Effort to Invade or Annex Greenland.” Press release, U.S. House of Representatives, January 12, 2026. https://gomez.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=5905

Inuit Circumpolar Council. 2026. “Alaskan Inuit Stand United in Support of Greenland.” Press release, Inuit Circumpolar Council Alaska, January 20, 2026. https://www.iitc.org/alaskan-inuit-stand-united-in-support-of-greenland/

Library of Congress. 2019. “Greenland’s National Day, the Home Rule Act (1979), and the Act on Self-Government (2009).” In Custodia Legis (Law Library of Congress). https://blogs.loc.gov/law/2019/06/greenlands-national-day-the-home-rule-act-1979-and-the-act-on-self-government-2009/

Navigator Research. 2026. “Americans Don’t Want Greenland, They Just Want Lower Costs.” Navigator Research memo. https://navigatorresearch.org/americans-dont-want-greenland-they-just-want-lower-costs/

NBC News. 2026. “Denmark Incensed by Trump’s Push for Greenland.” NBC News, January 18, 2026. https://www.nbcnews.com/world/europe/make-america-go-away-denmark-incensed-trumps-push-greenland-rcna254541

PBS NewsHour. 2026. “Here’s Why Trump Says the U.S. ‘Needs’ Greenland for Arctic Security.” PBS NewsHour, January 6, 2026. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/heres-why-trump-says-the-u-s-needs-greenland-for-arctic-security

Reuters/Ipsos. 2026. “Just One in Five Americans Support Trump’s Efforts to Acquire Greenland.” Reuters, January 15, 2026. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/just-one-five-americans-support-trumps-efforts-acquire-greenland-2026-01-15/

Shaheen, Jeanne, and Lisa Murkowski. 2026. “Ranking Member Shaheen Pushes for Congress to Prohibit Taking Greenland by Force or Coercion.” Press release, U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, January 20, 2026. https://www.foreign.senate.gov/press/dem/release/ranking-member-shaheen-pushes-for-congress-to-prohibit-taking-greenland

New York Times. 2026. “Trump Addresses Venezuela, Greenland and Presidential Power in Wide-Ranging Interview.” The New York Times, January 8, 2026. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/08/us/politics/trump-interview-power-morality.html

U.S. Department of State. 2004. “Denmark (Greenland) (04-0806) – Agreement Amending and Supplementing the Agreement Between the United States of America and the Kingdom of Denmark Relating to the Defense of Greenland.” Treaty text, August 6, 2004. https://www.state.gov/04-0806/

U.S. Senate Historical Office. 2025. “The Senate Approves for Ratification the Louisiana Purchase Treaty.” U.S. Senate: Art & History, June 17, 2025. https://www.senate.gov/about/powers-procedures/treaties/senate-approves-louisiana-purchase-treaty.htm

United States and Denmark. 1941. Agreement Relating to the Defense of Greenland (U.S.–Denmark, April 9, 1941). In United States Statutes at Large 55:1245–1248. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/STATUTE-55/pdf/STATUTE-55-Pg1245.pdf

United States and Denmark. 1951. Agreement Between the United States of America and the Kingdom of Denmark Concerning the Defense of Greenland (April 27, 1951), as amended. U.S. Department of State Treaty Series. https://avalon.law.yale.edu/20th_century/den001.asp

U.S. Trade Representative. 2024. “United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA).” Office of the United States Trade Representative. Accessed January 26, 2026. https://ustr.gov/trade-agreements/free-trade-agreements/united-states-mexico-canada-agreement.

YouGov/Ipsos. 2026. “American Knowledge About Greenland Varies, but Very Few Support a Military Takeover.” YouGov/Ipsos survey brief, January 19, 2026.  https://today.yougov.com/politics/articles/53917-american-knowledge-greenland-varies-few-support-military-takeover