Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Donald Trump said the United States is seeking to acquire Greenland, calling the Arctic territory a vital national security asset, before launching into a sweeping critique of mass migration, European governance, and what he described as America’s rapid economic and political turnaround under his leadership.
Trump said Greenland occupies a “core national security interest” for the United States and argued that only the US is capable of defending it in an increasingly unstable world. He said in regard to Greenland,"We probably won't get anything unless I decide to use excessive strength and force, where we would be, frankly, unstoppable, but I won't do that," later adding, "I don’t have to use force, I don’t want to use force, I won’t use force. All the United States is asking for is a place called Greenland."
“I’m seeking immediate negotiations to once again discuss the acquisition of Greenland by the United States,” Trump said. “This enormous, unsecured island is sitting undefended in a key strategic location between the United States, Russia, and China. That’s exactly where it is, right smack in the middle.”
“That’s not the reason we need it,” Trump said. “We need it for strategic national security and international security.”
Trump cited World War II history to justify the move, noting Denmark’s inability to defend Greenland after falling to Nazi Germany. “We literally set up bases on Greenland for Denmark. We fought for Denmark,” he said. “We saved Greenland and successfully prevented our enemies from gaining a foothold in our hemisphere.”
“After the war, which we won, we won it big, we gave Greenland back to Denmark,” Trump said. “How stupid were we to do that? But we did it.”
Trump argued Denmark has failed to uphold its defense commitments, despite pledges made years ago. “In 2019, Denmark said they would spend over $200 million to strengthen Greenland’s defenses,” he said. “They spent less than one percent of that amount. There is no sign of Denmark there.”
From Greenland, Trump moved to what he described as the Western crisis driven by failed economic and migration policies, calling out Europe in particular. He said many European countries are “not even recognizable anymore,” adding that the changes have been overwhelmingly negative.
“In recent decades, it became conventional wisdom in Washington and European capitals that the only way to grow a modern Western economy was through ever-increasing government spending, unchecked mass migration, and endless foreign imports,” Trump said.
He accused Western leaders of believing they could replace domestic populations through immigration. “Countries could be propped up by importing new and entirely different populations from faraway lands,” he said.
According to Trump, those policies have produced historic social and fiscal damage. “The result was record budget and trade deficits and a growing sovereign deficit, driven by the largest wave of mass migration in human history,” he said. “We’ve never seen anything like it.”
Trump said many leaders either fail to understand the consequences or refuse to act. “Quite frankly, many parts of our world are being destroyed before our very eyes,” he said. “The leaders don’t even understand what’s happening. And the ones that do understand aren’t doing anything about it.”
Contrasting Europe with the US, Trump said border enforcement was central to his administration’s success. “After 12 months back in the White House, our previously open and dangerous border is closed and virtually impenetrable,” he said.
“The consequences of such destructive policies have been stark, including lower economic growth, lower standards of living, lower birth rates, more socially disruptive migration, more vulnerability to hostile foreign adversaries, and much, much smaller militaries,” he said.
He argued that immigration policy must be treated as a core issue for Western survival. “Issues like energy, trade, immigration, and economic growth must be central concerns to anyone who wants to see a strong and united West,” Trump said.
“They have to get out of the culture they’ve created over the last ten years,” he added. “It’s horrible what they’re doing to themselves. They’re destroying themselves.”
Trump then turned to the US economy, calling the past year an unprecedented turnaround. “After 12 months back in the White House, our economy is booming, growth is exploding, productivity is surging, investment is soaring, incomes are rising, inflation has been defeated,” he said.
He compared his record to that of the Biden administration. “Under the Biden administration, America was plagued by the nightmare of stagflation,” Trump said. “Just over one year ago, under the radical-left Democrats, we were a dead country. Now we are the hottest country anywhere in the world.”
Trump claimed core inflation had dropped to 1.6 percent, with economic growth projected at 5.4 percent, and said the stock market had hit 52 all-time highs in one year. “People are doing very well,” he said. “They’re very happy with me.”
He also touted massive investment commitments. “We’ve secured commitments for a record-breaking $18 trillion,” Trump said, adding the final total could reach $20 trillion. “That’s never been done by any country at any time.”
On government reform, Trump said his administration had removed 270,000 federal bureaucrats, cut the budget deficit by 27 percent, and eliminated 129 regulations for every new one approved. “To make a country great, you can’t have all federal jobs,” he said.
Trump said Greenland occupies a “core national security interest” for the United States and argued that only the US is capable of defending it in an increasingly unstable world. He said in regard to Greenland,"We probably won't get anything unless I decide to use excessive strength and force, where we would be, frankly, unstoppable, but I won't do that," later adding, "I don’t have to use force, I don’t want to use force, I won’t use force. All the United States is asking for is a place called Greenland."
“I’m seeking immediate negotiations to once again discuss the acquisition of Greenland by the United States,” Trump said. “This enormous, unsecured island is sitting undefended in a key strategic location between the United States, Russia, and China. That’s exactly where it is, right smack in the middle.”
“That’s not the reason we need it,” Trump said. “We need it for strategic national security and international security.”
Trump cited World War II history to justify the move, noting Denmark’s inability to defend Greenland after falling to Nazi Germany. “We literally set up bases on Greenland for Denmark. We fought for Denmark,” he said. “We saved Greenland and successfully prevented our enemies from gaining a foothold in our hemisphere.”
“After the war, which we won, we won it big, we gave Greenland back to Denmark,” Trump said. “How stupid were we to do that? But we did it.”
Trump argued Denmark has failed to uphold its defense commitments, despite pledges made years ago. “In 2019, Denmark said they would spend over $200 million to strengthen Greenland’s defenses,” he said. “They spent less than one percent of that amount. There is no sign of Denmark there.”
From Greenland, Trump moved to what he described as the Western crisis driven by failed economic and migration policies, calling out Europe in particular. He said many European countries are “not even recognizable anymore,” adding that the changes have been overwhelmingly negative.
“In recent decades, it became conventional wisdom in Washington and European capitals that the only way to grow a modern Western economy was through ever-increasing government spending, unchecked mass migration, and endless foreign imports,” Trump said.
He accused Western leaders of believing they could replace domestic populations through immigration. “Countries could be propped up by importing new and entirely different populations from faraway lands,” he said.
According to Trump, those policies have produced historic social and fiscal damage. “The result was record budget and trade deficits and a growing sovereign deficit, driven by the largest wave of mass migration in human history,” he said. “We’ve never seen anything like it.”
Trump said many leaders either fail to understand the consequences or refuse to act. “Quite frankly, many parts of our world are being destroyed before our very eyes,” he said. “The leaders don’t even understand what’s happening. And the ones that do understand aren’t doing anything about it.”
Contrasting Europe with the US, Trump said border enforcement was central to his administration’s success. “After 12 months back in the White House, our previously open and dangerous border is closed and virtually impenetrable,” he said.
“The consequences of such destructive policies have been stark, including lower economic growth, lower standards of living, lower birth rates, more socially disruptive migration, more vulnerability to hostile foreign adversaries, and much, much smaller militaries,” he said.
He argued that immigration policy must be treated as a core issue for Western survival. “Issues like energy, trade, immigration, and economic growth must be central concerns to anyone who wants to see a strong and united West,” Trump said.
“They have to get out of the culture they’ve created over the last ten years,” he added. “It’s horrible what they’re doing to themselves. They’re destroying themselves.”
Trump then turned to the US economy, calling the past year an unprecedented turnaround. “After 12 months back in the White House, our economy is booming, growth is exploding, productivity is surging, investment is soaring, incomes are rising, inflation has been defeated,” he said.
He compared his record to that of the Biden administration. “Under the Biden administration, America was plagued by the nightmare of stagflation,” Trump said. “Just over one year ago, under the radical-left Democrats, we were a dead country. Now we are the hottest country anywhere in the world.”
Trump claimed core inflation had dropped to 1.6 percent, with economic growth projected at 5.4 percent, and said the stock market had hit 52 all-time highs in one year. “People are doing very well,” he said. “They’re very happy with me.”
He also touted massive investment commitments. “We’ve secured commitments for a record-breaking $18 trillion,” Trump said, adding the final total could reach $20 trillion. “That’s never been done by any country at any time.”
On government reform, Trump said his administration had removed 270,000 federal bureaucrats, cut the budget deficit by 27 percent, and eliminated 129 regulations for every new one approved. “To make a country great, you can’t have all federal jobs,” he said.
