Stephen Miller declares Greenland should be part of US and ‘nobody will fight’ over country’s future
Stephen Miller stunned US allies and shook NATO on Monday night after publicly declaring that Greenland ‘must be part of the US’ and insisting that no country would dare fight Washington over the future of the Arctic territory.
During a combative appearance with Jake Tapper on CNN’s The Lead, the White House deputy chief of staff and homeland security adviser brushed aside repeated questions about whether the United States could use military force to seize Greenland, which is currently administered by Denmark.
“No one is going to fight the United States militarily over the future of Greenland,” Miller said on air, brushing aside repeated attempts to persuade him to explicitly rule out military action.
Pressed on whether direct military intervention was off the table, Miller did not deny the possibility. Instead he challenged Denmark’s sovereignty over the island.
‘What is the basis of territorial claims?’ Miller asked.
‘What is the basis for Greenland being a colony of Denmark? USA is the power of NATO. ‘For the United States to secure the Arctic region and to protect and defend NATO and NATO interests, it is clear that Greenland must be part of the United States, and we will talk about this as a country.’
The extraordinary comments come after President Donald Trump again ruled out seizing Greenland by force; This deepened fears among European allies that the administration was ready to redraw borders within NATO in the name of US ‘national security’.
Miller insisted that the idea of Greenland joining the United States was not a spur-of-the-moment idea, despite the renewed interest.
Stephen Miller (right) publicly declared that Greenland ‘must be part of the United States’ and insisted no country would dare fight Washington over the future of the Arctic region.
Trump on Sunday reiterated his long-held belief that Greenland is vital to U.S. national security
Greenland has had the legal right to declare independence from Denmark since 2009 but has not done so because it relies heavily on Danish financial support and public services.
“The president has been clear for months,” Miller told Tapper.
‘The official position of the US government since the beginning of this administration (obviously going back to the previous Trump administration) has been for Greenland to be part of the US.’
When Tapper realized the issue had suddenly become urgent following a provocative social media post by Miller’s wife, Katie Miller, the senior White House aide was outraged.
“I know you’re treating this like breaking news,” Miller said, “but the president has been very clear about it.”
Miller responded once again to the question of whether the United States would consider refusing to use force against another NATO country to achieve this goal.
‘There is no need to even think or talk about this in the context where you are requesting a military operation,’ he said.
The controversy erupted over the weekend when Katie Miller, Trump’s former White House official and conservative media figure, posted a picture of Greenland draped in an American flag with a single word underneath: ‘SOON’.
The post went viral and came just after the US carried out a dramatic operation in Venezuela that resulted in the capture of the country’s president; This operation raised alarm among allies about Washington’s willingness to redraw borders by force.
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Katie Miller, wife of President Donald Trump’s Chief of Staff Steven Miller, sent X a map of Greenland covered in an American flag, just hours after the United States struck Venezuela and captured its president, Nicolás Maduro.
Miller’s post sparked immediate outrage among Danes, who apparently stood up to protect their homes (Image: Katie and Stephen Miller in December)
In her nationally televised speech, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen reminded the audience that Greenland had repeatedly refused to join the United States. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen is on the left and Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen is on the right.
Trump then escalated the backlash by reiterating his long-held belief that Greenland is vital to U.S. national security.
Denmark’s response was swift and unusually clear.
In her nationally televised speech, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen reminded the audience that Greenland had repeatedly refused to join the United States.
“I have already made it clear where the Kingdom of Denmark stands, and Greenland has repeatedly said that it does not want to be part of the United States,” Frederiksen said. he said.
He also issued a stern warning about the consequences of US aggression.
“If the United States chooses to attack another NATO country militarily, everything stops, including NATO and therefore the security that has been established since the end of World War II,” Frederiksen said.
The Prime Minister later expanded on this message in his New Year’s speech, denouncing the increasing threats from what he called Denmark’s closest ally.
“You want to take over another country, other people, as if it were something you could buy and own, it doesn’t belong anywhere,” Frederiksen said, according to the Danish newspaper Berlingske.
He added that Denmark was rapidly increasing its military spending and Arctic defense.
‘We are working at full speed to strengthen Danish defense and preparedness,’ he said. ‘Never before have we increased our military power so significantly. Very quickly.”
Denmark’s ambassador to the United States, Jesper Møller Sørensen, publicly rebuked the rhetoric following Katie Miller’s post and reminded Washington of long-standing defense ties.
Sørensen wrote to X: ‘Friendly reminder about the USA and the Kingdom of Denmark. We are close allies and must continue to work together that way. The security of the United States is also the security of Greenland and Denmark.
U.S. Army Green Berets are seen during Arctic Edge 24 in Greenland. The region is known for its undiscovered mineral wealth and the NATO alliance
Trump visited the region last January before the start of his second term
US Vice President JD Vance visited Greenland, specifically the US military’s Pituffik Cosmodrome, last March
‘And yes, we expect full respect for the territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark,’ he added.
Despite Trump and his allies’ repeated claims that the island is vital to U.S. security, polls show Greenlanders are overwhelmingly opposed to becoming Americans.
According to a Verian’s January 2025 survey85 percent of Greenland’s approximately 57,000 residents said they did not want to join the United States.
Only six percent supported the idea, while nine percent were undecided.
Greenland has had the legal right to declare independence from Denmark since 2009 but has not done so because it relies heavily on Danish financial support and public services.
