On February 10, 2025, House Bill H.R.1161 was introduced, giving President Donald Trump the authority to negotiate the acquisition of Greenland. But in typical Trump fashion, he also proposed renaming the Danish territory to “Red, White, and Blueland.”
This idea is in line with Trump’s earlier actions, such as renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America through an executive order, a change that Google Maps adopted.
Trump’s proposal to buy Greenland may now be taken more seriously, especially after his suggestion to “annex” Canada, which Prime Minister Justin Trudeau acknowledged as a real possibility. While this bill has a long road ahead, its introduction hints at Trump’s foreign policy ambitions.
The bill was introduced by Representative Earl L. “Buddy” Carter and will be reviewed by the House Foreign Affairs and Natural Resources Committees. Although Greenland’s Prime Minister, Mute Egede, has firmly stated that the island is “not for sale,” countries like Russia and China have expressed interest in Greenland due to its natural resources, which are becoming more accessible as the climate warms.
Trump has previously argued that Greenland’s ownership is crucial for U.S. national security. If the bill moves forward, the cost of acquiring Greenland is uncertain, with estimates ranging from $12.5 billion to as much as $1.7 trillion.
Greenland, which is three times the size of Texas, has a population of about 60,000, raising the question of whether their opinion on the matter has been considered.
The idea of the U.S. purchasing Greenland isn’t new; past presidents, including Andrew Johnson and Harry Truman, explored similar proposals.
Greenland’s Prime Minister has agreed to cooperate with the U.S. on defense and mining, but Trump remains determined to bring the island under U.S. control, framing it as a matter of global freedom.
