Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was given the chance to shoot down U.S. military action as a real option for acquiring Greenland, and he did not take it.
Bessent was questioned by Kristen Welker during a Sunday morning appearance on NBC News’s Meet the Press. “If the United States were to take Greenland by force, how would that be different than Russia’s annexation of Crimea?” the host questioned the MAGA loyalist.
Bessent responded: “Look, I believe that the Europeans will understand that this is best for Greenland, best for Europe, and best for the United States.”
Asked again whether military intervention “is still on the table,” Bessent, 63, said that while he couldn’t speak for Trump, he had no doubt in his mind that all would be forgiven in the case of a hostile takeover.
“I haven’t spoken with the president on that,” he said, repeating: “And again, I believe that the Europeans will understand that the best outcome is for the U.S. to maintain or receive control of Greenland.”
Later in the conversation, Welker noted that NATO itself could be under threat from the U.S., both because of Trump’s Saturday announcement of leveraging tariffs on eight ally nations and in the case of a military annexation of Greenland.
“They’re warning that this move to annex Greenland could, in fact, destroy NATO. So let me just put this to you bluntly. Is Greenland or NATO more essential to the United States’ national security?” the NBC host asked.
After first protesting that such a choice didn’t exist, Bessent then said: “The European leaders will come around, and they will understand that they need to be under the U.S. security umbrella.”
Trump has made it clear that he intends to acquire Greenland by any means possible in the name of “national security.”
WELKER: Is Greenland or NATO more essential to US national security?
BESSENT: That’s obviously a false choice
WELKER: Not from the perspective of European leaders
BESSENT: European leaders will come around and understand they need to be under the US security umbrella. What… pic.twitter.com/7VTlM3Lt61— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 18, 2026
The president has outlined his dreams of a ‘Golden Dome’ missile defense system and has repeatedly claimed that without the U.S. in control of Greenland, the vital zone will be lost to Russia and China.
Greenlanders and their Danish rulers are not convinced about the need to accede total control to an external power. On Saturday, thousands protested against U.S. intervention across Denmark and Greenland’s capital, Nuuk.
On Jan. 14, Denmark’s Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen told Fox News’ Bret Bair that he did not believe the U.S. would invade Greenland. “At least I do not hope so, because, I mean, that will be the end of NATO,” Rasmussen said.
While Trump has said that the U.S. will seize the territory “one way or another,” Greenland has firmly stated that it is “not for sale.”
The president’s latest push, to begin imposing 10% tariffs on the U.S.’s closest allies on Feb. 1 and to increase the rate to 25% on June 1 if Greenland has not yet acceded, has proved an unpopular act of aggression even within the GOP.
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