Trump has 'repeatedly expressed interest' in buying Greenland for the US

Associated Press

In this Aug. 13, 2019, photo, President Donald Trump arrives to speak in Monaca, Pa. Trump is hoping to woo New Hampshire into his column heading into 2020. The president will visit the state on Thursday to hold a reelection rally. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

• President Donald Trump is interested in buying Greenland for the US, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal.
• Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark, is located in an important geopolitical territory and is the site of the US military's northernmost base.
• Former President Harry Truman attempted to buy Greenland for $100 million in gold in 1946, but Denmark refused.
• Trump is making his first trip to Denmark as president in September.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

President Donald Trump has discussed the prospect of purchasing Greenland, the world's largest island, on multiple occasions, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal.

The report, citing people familiar with the deliberations, states that Trump has "repeatedly expressed interest" in buying Greenland with "varying degrees of seriousness."

Greenland, which is an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the North Atlantic and Arctic oceans, has a population of roughly 56,000. Its government has authority over local matters, while Denmark handles issues related to foreign policy.

With the Arctic increasingly mentioned in discussions about national security, Greenland is in a vital geopolitical location. Greenland is also at the center of discussions on the globe's climate crisis.

Read more: Trump's weak support of Hong Kong protesters gives China a 'green light' for a military crackdown

Trump has reportedly discussed the notion of buying Greenland with advisers, questioning whether it would be feasible, and asked his White House counsel Pat Cipollone to delve into the topic.

Some advisers have responded enthusiastically to Trump's interest in purchasing Greenland, which the site of a US military's northernmost base (Thule Air Base), while others have seemingly scoffed at the idea, according to The Journal's report.

Christy Hansen/NASA

NASA's P-3B airborne laboratory on the ramp at Thule Air Base in Greenland early on the morning of Mar. 21, 2013

The White House and State Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment from INSIDER. The Journal also said it made inquiries with the Danish government and did not receive a response.

Trump is set to make his first presidential visit to Denmark in September, though the report states this is "unrelated" to the president's alleged ambition of purchasing Denmark.

The US has bought territory from other countries in the past, including Alaska from Russia in 1867.

If The Journal's report is accurate, Trump is also not the first president to express interest in acquiring Greenland. Not long after the cessation of World War II, former President Harry Truman in 1946 offered Denmark $100 million in gold for Greenland but it refused to sell. At the time, Truman, military leaders, and members of Congress saw Greenland as an important geopolitical location and "a military necessity."