Most Americans say 'no' to Greenland takeover, with even Republicans split: poll

Donald Trump

Most Americans say 'no' to Greenland takeover, with even Republicans split: poll

President's push for massive Arctic island causes tension with Denmark and other NATO allies

Paul Steinhauser Fox News

Published

January 15, 2026 1:21pm EST

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President Trump emphasizes the importance of Greenland

President Donald Trump emphasizes Greenland’s role in national security.

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As President Donald Trump turns up the volume on his efforts to acquire Greenland from Denmark, two new national polls put a spotlight on the fact that most Americans oppose taking over the massive and crucially strategic island that lies between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans.

Eighty-six percent of voters nationwide questioned in a Quinnipiac University poll said they would oppose military action to take over Greenland.

That includes 95% of Democrats, 94% of Independents, and even more than two-thirds (68%) of Republicans surveyed by Quinnipiac late last week through Monday.

WHY TROOPS FROM EUROPE ARE DEPLOYING TO GREENLAND

Military vessel HDMS Ejnar Mikkelsen of the Royal Danish Navy patrols near Nuuk, Greenland, Wednesday, March 5, 2025. (Evgeniy Maloletka/AP Photo)

Three-quarters of Americans questioned in a CNN poll conducted at the same time said they opposed a U.S. takeover of Greenland. Ninety-four percent of Democrats and eight in 10 Independents said they would oppose such a move, with Republicans split 50%-50%.

Meanwhile, by a 55%-37% margin, voters questioned in the Quinnipiac survey said they opposed any U.S. effort to try and buy Greenland.

DENMARK IN TRUMP'S CROSSHAIRS AS US MAKES AMBITIOUS APPEAL TO GREENLAND

But there's a stark political divide on this question, with the vast majority of Democrats and nearly six in 10 Independents opposed to buying Greenland, and more than two-thirds of Republicans supporting such efforts.

Danish foreign minister addresses concern over Russian and Chinese influence in Greenland

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"The United States needs Greenland for the purpose of national security," the president argued in a social media post Wednesday.

EUROPEAN ALLIES WORKING ON PLAN IF US ACTS ON ACQUIRING GREENLAND: REPORT

And the president emphasized that "anything less" than U.S. control of Greenland is "unacceptable."

Trump's push for the U.S. to acquire Greenland is causing tension with Denmark and other NATO allies who insist that the semiautonomous Danish territory should determine its own future.

Trump is making sure Greenland doesn’t ‘fall into the laps’ of China, Russia

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Trump officials are openly considering all options, including military force, to take Greenland, spurring bipartisan opposition from some in Congress.

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Troops from several European countries deployed to Greenland this week for a brief two-day mission to bolster the territory’s defenses.

France, Germany, Sweden and Norway are participating in the exercise, Fox News has learned. Leaders say the mission is meant to demonstrate they can deploy military assets "quickly."

Fox News' Gillian Turner and Greg Norman-Diamond contributed to this report.

Paul Steinhauser is a politics reporter based in the swing state of New Hampshire. He covers the campaign trail from coast to coast."

Most Americans say 'no' to Greenland takeover, with even Republicans split: poll