Every few years, Washington politicians get a hankering to expand the American empire. One of their more bizarre obsessions is Greenland. The Trump administration famously floated the idea of buying the island from Denmark in 2019, sparking international ridicule. While the notion seemed to die down after that, it never truly disappeared. Some in Washington still see Greenland as the next great prize for the United States—a resource-rich Arctic territory that could be absorbed into the federal bureaucracy under the guise of economic and strategic benefits.

The first of many problems with this idea is that, like many Americans, the people of Greenland don’t want to be ruled by Washington. They’ve been moving toward greater independence from their own country for decades. And even if they were interested, U.S. taxpayers should think twice before taking on the costs of governing yet another distant landmass when their government is running $2 trillion per year deficits managing the territory it already has.

Annexing Greenland is the opposite of ‘America First.’ It’s ‘DC Empire First,’ precisely what tens of millions of Trump supporters voted against in November. But as history shows, not only campaign promises but the whole platform of a political movement goes out the window when the ruling class smells power, expansion, and illegitimately acquired wealth.

The idea of the U.S. acquiring Greenland isn’t new. In 1867, Secretary of State William Seward—best known for purchasing Alaska from Russia—proposed buying Greenland along with Iceland. The deal never happened, but the U.S. kept its eyes on Greenland for strategic reasons.

During World War II, American forces established bases on the island to prevent Nazi Germany from gaining a foothold. After the war, in 1946, President Harry Truman offered Denmark $100 million in gold for Greenland. Denmark refused. The U.S. ended up negotiating a military presence instead, and to this day, Thule Air Base remains a key U.S. outpost in the Arctic.

While American military interests in Greenland are undeniable, there’s a big difference between maintaining an alliance and annexing an entire landmass. Yet, expansionist-minded politicians never let go of the idea. When Trump suggested buying Greenland, the response from Denmark was clear: “Greenland is not for sale.” So, Trump now wants to take via some form of coercion, whether that is economic or military.

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Tom Mullen is the author of It’s the Fed, Stupid and Where Do Conservatives and Liberals Come From? And What Ever Happened to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness? 

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