President Donald Trump announced on Sunday he is appointing Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry (R) as special envoy to Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark that the president has said he wants to acquire for the United States.
“Jeff understands how essential Greenland is to our National Security, and will strongly advance our Country’s Interests for the Safety, Security and Survival of Our Allies, and indeed, the World,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.
Landry, who was sworn in as Louisiana’s governor in 2024, described it as a “volunteer position” that he plans to serve in alongside his role as governor. A staunch supporter of Trump and a hard-line Republican, Landry has previously expressedsupport for Trump’s push to make Greenland a part of the U.S.
Thank you @realDonaldTrump! It’s an honor to serve you in this volunteer position to make Greenland a part of the U.S. This in no way affects my position as Governor of Louisiana!
— Governor Jeff Landry (@LAGovJeffLandry) December 22, 2025
The Danish Prime Minister’s Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Trump has said repeatedly that the United States will “get” Greenland, casting it as a national security objective for the United States. His administration also covets Greenland for its untapped rare earth metals, an industry dominated by China globally. In April, The Washington Post reported that the White House was preparing an estimate of what it would cost the federal government to control Greenland as a territory.
The Arctic island is around three times the size of Texas, with a population of about 57,000 people. Though it’s part of the North American continent, to the northwest of Canada, it is an autonomous territory of Denmark, which ruled over it for more than 200 years and still maintains some control over its foreign policy.
The U.S. military maintains a Cold War-era base on the island called the Pituffik Space Base. It provides a strategic location for missile defense and space surveillance missions, according to the U.S. Space Force.
Denmark has moved cautiously, careful not to provoke Trump nor yield its position. Twice this year, the Danish government summoned the top American diplomat in Copenhagen to express concern over vague allegations of U.S. influence operations in Greenland.
Kenneth Howery, the U.S. ambassador in Copenhagen, met officials from Denmark and Greenland in capital Nuuk earlier this month in his first visit to the island since the PayPal co-founder was confirmed by the Senate in October.
Aaron Schaffer contributed to this report.
The post Trump appoints Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry as special envoy to Greenland appeared first on Washington Post.
