ANALYSIS — Amid President Donald Trump’s talk of the U.S. acquiring Greenland, Vice President JD Vance has taken on a role of White House good cop, using softer language as his boss keeps the option of using military force on the table.
During a three-hour visit Friday to a U.S. military base on the Arctic island, Vance did not speak of an invasion or air strikes to add the Danish territory to the American portfolio. Instead, he spoke in a sort of code, suggesting the idea would eventually catch on with Greenlanders.
Congressional Democrats have expressed incredulity over Trump’s continued talk of a “need” to make Greenland an American appendage. He has cited various reasons as his rationale: fueling a manufacturing boom at home partly using Greenland’s rare earth minerals; building part of his envisioned “Golden Dome” missile defense system there; bolstering America’s Arctic presence; and combating Russia’s and China’s quest for national resources in the harsh Arctic.
