Stephen Miller openly threatens Denmark and Greenland.Image: keystone
In a remarkable interview, Trump advisor Miller denies territory to a European ally. He leaves no doubt that the USA wants to take Greenland.
01/06/2026, 06:2801/06/2026, 06:28
Stephen Miller, deputy chief of staff in the White House, is known for his sharp rhetoric. He is considered one of the chief ideologists and agitators in the Trump administration. The British “Guardian” once called him an “arsonist of conviction” in view of his rhetoric. Now Miller has followed up on the dispute over the Arctic island of Greenland.
The autonomously governed island, which belongs to Denmark, should become part of the United States of America, Miller said on Monday on the US television channel CNN. “The US is the dominant power in NATO,” he continued, “so it’s clear that Greenland should be part of the United States.” CNN anchor Jake Tapper looked a little contrite as Miller spoke. The news veteran could hardly believe what the Trump man was saying. But he had said it. Just as Donald Trump has said several times in recent months: the USA wants Greenland. Absolutely.
Tapper repeated the question he had asked Miller at the beginning of the interview: “So can you rule out the possibility that the USA will take Greenland by force?” Miller laughed. The MAGA ideologue said he didn’t want to give Tapper the headline that the journalist was apparently after. He could only say this much:
“The United States should get Greenland. And it is completely impossible for this to be discussed in the context of military violence, as they are implying here.
Then came the crucial postscript:
“No one will challenge the US militarily when it comes to the future of Greenland.”
In other words: According to Miller’s understanding, the great power USA is untouchable. What had initially sounded like a denial now turned into a real threat.
Greenland: annexation by decree?
The Miller interview is likely to cause deep worry lines on the foreheads of the US’s European allies. Because his Greenland announcement means practically nothing other than a possible annexation of the island by decree from the White House. The Trump administration had set the precedent for this just a few days ago: with the sudden overthrow of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro, the US government demonstrated that it is able to overthrow a regime and bring a state under its control at any time.
It apparently makes no difference to the MAGA Republicans whether it is a left-wing authoritarian regime in South America or a democratically governed country like Greenland. Shortly after the military intervention in Venezuela, which ended with the capture and kidnapping of Maduro, Miller’s wife caused some outrage when she posted a map of Greenland in the colors of the American flag to X. She also wrote the word “Soon” (in German: Bald).
In Denmark and the rest of Europe, this was already understood as a threat that the USA could take over Danish territory next. Although Greenland has been formally governed independently since 1979, it is officially part of the Danish Empire. Despite its political self-government, Greenland is still heavily dependent on Denmark economically and in terms of foreign policy. There are no aspirations in Greenland to become part of the USA. On the contrary.
Denmark on Trump: “Absolutely absurd”
“That’s enough now,” said Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens Frederik Nielsen on Monday night. He remained wary of the aggressive signals that had already come from Washington, DC on Sunday. “We need Greenland for national security reasons, and Denmark will not be able to do that,” President Donald Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One. In a telephone interview with the US magazine “The Atlantic” he later added: “We absolutely need Greenland. We need it for defense.”
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen also made it clear. She warned that an attack on a NATO partner would mean the US would seal the end of the military alliance. She called on the US to stop its “threats against a historic ally”. It is “absolutely absurd to say that the United States should take control of Greenland.”
Another interview that Frederiksen gave to the Danish broadcaster TV2 on Monday showed how great the concerns in Denmark actually are. In it she again warned of the consequences of a possible US attack on Greenland. If the Trump administration decides to launch such an attack, “then it’s all over.” This affects NATO and thus also the security architecture after the Second World War. Your government is doing “everything possible to prevent this from happening,” said Frederiksen.
Miller: “What right does Denmark actually have?”
Corresponding reactions also came from other EU states. “Borders must not be moved by force” and “territories must not be forcibly annexed,” said German deputy government spokesman Sebastian Hille in Berlin. A spokesman for the French Foreign Ministry made a similar statement. “Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders and the Danes, and they alone decide about it,” he added.
Trump advisor Stephen Miller apparently sees it differently. In the CNN interview, he questioned Denmark’s legal claim to Greenland. “The United States should be the nation that owns Greenland as a necessary part of our security architecture,” said the 40-year-old political advisor and former Trump speechwriter. He emphasized that this was the formal position of the second Trump administration since it took office. “What right does Denmark actually have to control Greenland? On what basis do they claim Greenlandic territory? What is actually the basis for considering Greenland a Danish colony?”.
Miller said this as one of the top representatives of a major power that recently bombed Iran, invaded Venezuela and has in the past annexed numerous overseas territories under the Monroe Doctrine. The foreign policy doctrine goes back to the former US President James Monroe (in office from 1817 to 1825). Accordingly, the USA no longer tolerated any influence from European powers in the then newly created world order, and Monroe’s policy also aimed to geopolitically dominate the entire American double continent, i.e. to bring North and South America under control.
Trump and the “Donroe Doctrine”
The borrowings from the doctrine by the second Trump administration are obvious. It openly supports the right-wing populist regimes in South and Central America and has already threatened the remaining left-wing governments and regimes in Colombia, Cuba and Mexico. The whole thing is part of the US administration’s new national security strategy. This envisages the expansion of its geopolitical influence throughout the Western Hemisphere. The national security interests of the USA are therefore enforced – and defended – globally. Trump called his aggressive foreign policy the “Donroe Doctrine.”
The neologism goes back to a journalist from the New York Post. Trump liked the formulation so much that he incorporated it into his rhetoric, as it combines his first name (Donald) and his historical role model when it comes to the “America First” agenda (Monroe). The “Donroe Doctrine” states, among other things, that all activities by actors outside the US sphere of influence that run counter to their own interests should be viewed as malicious.
So basically anyone can be targeted; whether these are governments that are practically on our doorstep, like Venezuela, or China, Iran and Russia. And maybe soon Greenland too? Trump made another telling suggestion on board the presidential plane on Sunday:
“Let’s talk about Greenland in 20 days.”
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