Trump aide Stephen Miller says US could seize Greenland
One of President Donald Trump 's closest aides, Stephen Miller , questioned Denmark's claim on Greenland and suggested the U.S. could seize it without pushback, stoking concern among European allies.
Speaking to CNN's Jake Tapper , Miller sidestepped questions of whether the U.S. will use military force to take Greenland, a territory of Denmark, and said the president has been "clear for months" that the U.S. should have it.
“Nobody’s going to fight the United States militarily over the future of Greenland,” Miller said in the Jan. 5 interview.
Miller also questioned Denmark's control over the resource-rich territory.
"It wouldn't be military action against Greenland. Greenland has a population of 30,000 people, Jake," Miller said. "The real question is, by what right does Denmark assert control over Greenland?"
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Since taking office in 2025, Trump has repeatedly floated buying the Arctic island from Denmark and has refused to rule out taking it through military force. Trump has argued that annexing Greenland is a national security necessity, noting its mass of critical minerals and strategic location. Miller echoed that argument, saying the U.S. needs Greenland to secure the Atlantic region for NATO interests.
"Obviously, Greenland should be part of the United States," he said.
The presidential aide's comments add to a growing chorus of voices from the administration ramping up pressure on Greenland, after U.S. military forces intervened in another nation − Venezuela − issuing strikes and seizing Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.
Trump renewed those calls for an American-run Greenland on Jan. 4 as Trump promised to "run" the South American country until a democratic transition could occur.
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The move has elevated concerns that the same could happen with Greenland, a Danish territory with limited self-rule.
Stephen Miller's wife Katie Miller, a MAGA commentator and former official in the Trump administration, further stoked concern after posting an illustration of Greenland with U.S. stars and stripes on social media. Her post, which said, "SOON," came the same day as the U.S. military strikes on Venezuela that ended in the capture of Maduro and his wife.
Denmark's prime minister has urged the White House to "stop the threats" about taking over Greenland the day prior, after the president reiterated his wish to do so in a weekend interview with The Atlantic magazine.
A joint statement from several top NATO members on Jan. 6 pushed back on the administration's claim that security in the Arctic requires U.S. control of the territory.
"Greenland belongs to its people. It is for Denmark and Greenland, and them only, to decide on matters concerning Denmark and Greenland," the nations said.
Leaders of France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, Denmark and the United Kingdom signed the statement.
Contributing: Kim Hjelmgaard, USA TODAY.
Kathryn Palmer is a politics reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her at kapalmer@usatoday.com and on X @ KathrynPlmr . Sign up for her daily politics newsletter here .
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump aide Stephen Miller says US could seize Greenland
