Fox Business anchor Maria Bartiromo put Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on the spot Tuesday during an onstage interview in Davos, pressing him to explain President Donald Trump’s controversial push to acquire Greenland and the trade pressure being applied to European allies who oppose the idea.
The exchange took place on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum, where Bartiromo opened the discussion with a direct question about trade, tariffs, and Greenland. She noted that President Trump appeared to shape the global conversation even before his arrival by threatening tariffs on European allies unless they supported U.S. efforts to acquire the territory. Bartiromo asked how the administration could justify taking over Greenland when both Denmark and Greenland have said they are not interested.
Bessent responded by framing the issue as one of national security rather than simple territorial ambition. He said the president holds a strong view on Western Hemisphere security and believes the United States should not outsource its national defense. According to Bessent, Trump views Greenland as essential to the Golden Dome missile shield and as a critical component of U.S. strategic defense.
Bessent added that Trump is thinking several steps ahead. He explained that as part of NATO, the president is concerned that if Greenland were ever subject to an incursion, the United States would be called upon to defend it. In Bessent’s telling, Greenland is becoming increasingly attractive for foreign conquest, and Trump believes bringing it under U.S. control would prevent conflict rather than draw America into a future hot war.
Bartiromo followed up by clarifying the administration’s position, asking whether Greenland lacks the capacity to stop potential missile threats on its own and whether that vulnerability puts the United States at risk if Greenland is not under U.S. ownership. She asked whether that concern is the president’s primary motivation.
BARTIROMO: You don't think rates are spiking on this Greenland story? You think what's happening in Japan is specific to Japan?
BESSENT: I think the Japan situation — that the market there had a six standard deviation move and that was happening before any of the Greenland news pic.twitter.com/3EQSThpq1m
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 20, 2026
Bessent agreed that vulnerability is part of the issue, but emphasized a broader concern. He said the United States could be exposed to a kinetic war if another country moved in on Greenland, and argued that no nation would attempt to assert control over the territory if the United States already controlled it.
BARTIROMO: How do you justify taking over a country when in fact Denmark and Greenland have said they are not interested?
BESSENT: Well Maria, I think the president has a very strong view on Western Hemisphere security and believes the US should not outsource our national… pic.twitter.com/XFFvtZxQoH
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 20, 2026
The Fox Business anchor then turned to the international reaction, noting that the European Union has pushed back strongly. Bartiromo pointed out that EU leaders have threatened to halt trade negotiations with the United States and have already called an emergency summit later in the week focused on the Greenland situation.
Bessent urged calm and patience, echoing advice he said he gave after Trump imposed global tariffs following Liberation Day last April. He warned allies not to retaliate and encouraged them to take a step back. According to Bessent, the president would soon arrive in Davos, deliver his message directly, and engage in meetings with an open mind. He questioned why European leaders rushed to outright rejection rather than engaging in dialogue.
Bessent also noted that American interest in Greenland is not new, saying the territory has been on the minds of U.S. presidents for more than 150 years. When Bartiromo asked whether concerns about vulnerability existed even then, Bessent said it was the strategic value of Greenland that mattered, adding that as more trade routes move closer to the Arctic, Greenland’s importance continues to grow.
The conversation then shifted back to tariffs, as Trump’s approach to trade and security remained a dominant topic in Davos.
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