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Donald Trump Jr. is visiting Greenland, a territory his father said the US should take over.
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President-elect Trump recently resurfaced a first-term idea of his to buy the Arctic island.
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Greenland and Denmark have strongly rebuffed the idea.
Donald Trump Jr. is heading to Greenland shortly after his father renewed remarks that the US should take over the Danish territory.
President-Elect Donald Trump said in a Truth Social post on Monday that his eldest son and “various representatives” would be traveling to the Arctic island to “visit some of the most magnificent areas and sights.”
Trump added that “the people will benefit tremendously if, and when, it becomes part of our Nation.”
The post was accompanied by a video featuring someone, seemingly from Greenland, wearing a MAGA hat and saying that the country doesn’t want to be “colonized” by Denmark anymore.
Greenland is a self-governing territory of Denmark, a US ally and NATO member.
A private visit
In a statement provided to Business Insider, Denmark’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs acknowledged Trump Jr.’s trip but said it had no further comment as it was not an “official American visit.”
During his first term in office, Trump proposed that the US buy Greenland, which the country’s then-Prime Minister, Kim Kielsen, firmly rejected, saying, “Greenland is not for sale and cannot be sold.”
In recent weeks, as he gears up for his second term, Trump has once again revisited the idea of buying the massive island, which is replete with natural resources.
On December 23, he said in a Truth Social post that ownership and control of Greenland is an “absolute necessity” for the US.
He made the comments in a post announcing his choice for US Ambassador to Denmark, soon after he threatened to take over the Panama Canal.
Reuters, citing a source familiar with the upcoming trip, said Trump Jr. will not be meeting Greenlandic politicians and is instead traveling to the country to record video footage for a podcast.
Representatives for Trump Jr. did not immediately respond to Business Insider’s request for comment.
Greenland, the world’s largest island, is an autonomous territory of Denmark.Jessie Brinkman Evans/Getty Images
Elon Musk, who is expected to help guide Trump’s second term, has also weighed in, posting on X that “the people of Greenland should decide their future and I think they want to be part of America!”
While Greenland residents hold Danish citizenship, the government manages local affairs.
In response to President-Elect Trump’s post in December, Greenland’s Prime Minister, Múte B. Egede, said, “Greenland is ours. We are not for sale and will never be for sale. We must not lose our struggle for freedom.”
In a recent speech, Egede expressed hopes that the territory would pursue independence from Denmark.
Hours after Trump’s December post, the Danish government announced a huge boost in defense spending for Greenland. On Monday, King Frederik of Denmark updated the royal coat of arms to more prominently feature Greenland and the Faroe Islands.
Trump, who will take office on January 20, has also referred to Canada as the “51st state.”
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