Key Takeaways
- A series of polls shows that many Americans are opposed to President Donald Trump’s efforts to acquire Greenland from Denmark
- One in five Americans support Trump’s efforts, while three-quarters of Americans said they opposed the United States attempting to take control of the Arctic island
- The majority of Americans, including Democrats and Republicans, believe it would be a bad idea for the United States to take possession of Greenland from Denmark
- Opinions are mixed among Republicans, but the majority of independents and Democrats are opposed to an intervention
- The Danish government has announced an expanded military presence in and around Greenland in response to potential U.S. action
Introduction to the Polls
A recent series of polls has revealed that many Americans are not keen on President Donald Trump’s threats to take over the Danish territory of Greenland. According to a Jan. 14 Reuters poll, one in five Americans support Trump’s efforts to acquire Greenland, while a survey released the following day found a similarly strong level of disapproval. In a CNN poll published Jan. 15, three-quarters of Americans said they opposed the United States attempting to take control of the Arctic island. These polls come as Trump continues to call for U.S. control of Greenland, citing national security concerns.
Breakdown of the Polls
The Reuters poll found that 47% of respondents disapproved of Trump’s focus on Greenland, and 17% approved, with 35% saying they were unsure. Approximately 71% of respondents said it would be a bad idea for the United States to take possession of Greenland from Denmark, including nine in 10 Democrats and six in 10 Republicans. Only 4% of respondents, including one in 10 Republicans and almost no Democrats, said it would be a "good idea" for the United States to use military force. The poll was conducted online among 1,217 U.S. adults and had a margin of error of ±3 percentage points.
CNN Poll Results
In the CNN poll, 25% of Americans said they favored the United States attempting to take control of the resource-rich Danish territory. Broken down along party lines, Democrats were deeply opposed to the move, with 94% opposed overall, including 80% who said they "strongly" opposed it. Opinions were more mixed among Republicans, although still not significantly in favor: 50% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents said they supported it and 50% opposed it. About 8 in 10 independents who don’t lean toward either party are also opposed to an intervention. The CNN poll was conducted by SSRS online and by phone Jan. 9 through 12 among a random national sample of 1,209 adults, with a margin of error of ±3.1 percentage points.
International Response
The Danish government has responded to Trump’s threats by announcing an expanded military presence in and around Greenland, in close cooperation with NATO nations. Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said in a press conference that the meeting with U.S. officials ended with a "fundamental disagreement" and that they "didn’t manage to change the American position." Greenland’s prime minister also stated that his nation "stands with" Denmark, dismissing the idea that the island would choose to join the United States. Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with the Danish and Greenlandic foreign ministers at the White House on Jan. 14, but the gathering ended without substantial steps forward.
Larger Context
The polls come in the same week as other national pollsters recorded a lack of appetite among Americans for the president’s recent foreign policy decisions. More than half of U.S. adults believe Trump has “gone too far” in using the U.S. military to intervene in other countries, according to a Jan. 14 poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. In a Quinnipiac University poll released the same day, seven out of 10 U.S. voters said they thought a president should receive congressional approval before taking military action against another country. These polls suggest that Americans are increasingly skeptical of Trump’s foreign policy decisions and are opposed to military interventions, including the potential acquisition of Greenland.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the series of polls shows that many Americans are opposed to President Donald Trump’s efforts to acquire Greenland from Denmark. The majority of Americans, including Democrats and Republicans, believe it would be a bad idea for the United States to take possession of Greenland from Denmark. The Danish government has responded to Trump’s threats by announcing an expanded military presence in and around Greenland, and Greenland’s prime minister has stated that his nation "stands with" Denmark. As the situation continues to unfold, it remains to be seen how Trump will respond to the opposition from Americans and the international community.
