Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas said Sunday that acquiring Greenland would be overwhelmingly in the best interest of the United States, praising President Donald Trump for keeping America’s economic and national security priorities front and center as the debate gains renewed attention.
Speaking on Fox News’s “Sunday Morning Futures With Maria Bartiromo,” Cruz applauded Donald Trump for what he described as a clear-eyed focus on America First policies. Cruz said the president’s interest in Greenland reflects a broader commitment to U.S. economic strength and national defense, adding that he firmly believes bringing the territory under American control would serve the country’s long-term interests.
“I believe it is overwhelmingly in America’s national interest to acquire Greenland,” Cruz said, arguing that the issue fits squarely within a historical pattern of strategic expansion that has benefited the nation.
Since the start of the second Trump administration, White House officials have floated the idea of acquiring Greenland, either through purchase or, for national security purposes, potentially through military force. The president has been at the forefront of the push, pointing to the island’s strategic value and abundant natural resources, even as Danish officials have firmly rejected the notion of selling the semiautonomous territory.
Cruz placed the proposal in historical context, noting that American expansion through land acquisition has repeatedly proven decisive for the country’s future. He pointed to Thomas Jefferson’s Louisiana Purchase, which doubled the size of the United States, and to the purchase of Alaska from Russia, a deal that was derided at the time as “Seward’s Folly” but later became one of the most consequential decisions in U.S. history.
According to Cruz, Greenland could represent a similar opportunity. He emphasized that the island contains massive reserves of rare earth and other critical minerals, offering enormous potential economic benefits to the United States. Beyond economics, Cruz stressed the island’s strategic military importance, noting that its location in the Arctic places it squarely in a region of growing competition with global powers such as Russia and China.
Cruz’s remarks echoed comments from John Fetterman, a Democrat from Pennsylvania, who has also compared the administration’s interest in Greenland to the Louisiana Purchase. That rare point of agreement highlighted how the proposal has cut across some traditional partisan lines, at least in principle.
Not all Republicans, however, are convinced. GOP Rep. Michael McCaul expressed skepticism, arguing that taking over Greenland would not provide additional benefits to the United States. Appearing Sunday on ABC’s “This Week,” McCaul said the U.S. already has the ability to increase its military presence in the region without resorting to an invasion or acquisition.
McCaul said that while purchasing Greenland would be acceptable if a willing seller emerged, he does not see that happening. He also warned that a U.S. invasion of the territory would effectively amount to a war with NATO, underscoring the diplomatic and military risks involved.
The contrasting views reflect an ongoing debate over how best to balance America’s strategic ambitions with its alliances, even as Cruz and others argue that Greenland represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to strengthen U.S. security and economic power.
