President-elect Trump has considered buying Greenland: Here's every proposal in American history

The Trump administration is revisiting the idea of the United States purchasing Greenland, a proposal that stirred curiosity during Donald Trump’s first term as president.

In 2019, Trump shared a humorous image of Greenland with a Trump Tower superimposed, captioned, "I promise not to do this to Greenland!" Later, he confirmed his interest in acquiring the territory, noting its strategic significance. "Denmark owns it, and we’re great allies. The idea came up, and while it’s not our top priority, we’d be interested," Trump told reporters. The Wall Street Journal reported he had mentioned the idea with varying degrees of seriousness.

Though the proposal faded during Joe Biden’s presidency, it has resurfaced following Trump’s recent election victory. Republican Congressman Mike Collins shared a mock electoral map on November 7 featuring Greenland voting Republican, captioned, "Project 2029."

Denmark quickly rejected the notion. Danish MP Rasmus Jarlov stated on social media that Greenland’s independence would require approval from Denmark’s parliament and a constitutional amendment. "There’s no way we’d approve independence for the U.S. to buy Greenland. Forget it," Jarlov wrote.

American interest in Greenland isn’t new. In 1946, President Harry Truman offered Denmark $100 million for the Arctic territory, citing its strategic importance. Earlier, in 1945, Senator Owen Brewster deemed Greenland a "military necessity," a view shared by U.S. military leaders. Secretary of State James Byrnes even approached Denmark’s foreign minister that year, suggesting a sale as the simplest solution.

Interest dates back further to 1867, when the State Department considered buying Greenland and Iceland, recognizing their strategic value. If such a deal were ever to happen, it would surpass the Louisiana Purchase as the largest territorial expansion in U.S. history.