Fox News host Jesse Watters argued that Denmark is in breach of its NATO commitments by being unable to defend Greenland, escalating rhetoric around President Donald Trump’s push for U.S. control of the Arctic island and framing the issue as a matter of alliance responsibility rather than expansion.
Speaking during a televised discussion, Watters said the United States is prepared to act regardless of European objections. “We are going to do it whether they like it or not,” he said, referring to securing Greenland. He claimed Denmark should accept a U.S. offer to acquire the territory, arguing that Copenhagen lacks both the military capacity and financial resources to defend or develop the island.
“Denmark cannot defend or develop the island, and they are in violation of their NATO obligations because they are sworn to defend all of their territory,” Watters said. “They cannot defend it. They live under our security umbrella.”
Watters: Denmark is in violation of their NATO obligations because they are sworn to defend all of their territory and they can’t defend it. They live under our security umbrella. Do they want to live under it or not? pic.twitter.com/slCZZ6Nu5I
— Acyn (@Acyn) January 20, 2026
Watters portrayed the U.S. as the primary guarantor of European security, describing NATO protection as a “big, beautiful umbrella” and questioning whether Denmark wants to continue benefiting from it while resisting U.S. demands. He also asserted that Washington has offered Denmark $700 billion for Greenland, a figure he and co-host Greg Gutfeld joked amounted to roughly $1 billion per person in the country.
During the segment, Watters claimed that Denmark’s royal family was eager to sell Greenland and suggested that European leaders broadly support such a deal, though no public confirmation has been made by Danish or European officials. He likened the situation to inheriting valuable coastal property that the owner cannot afford to develop, arguing it would be irrational to refuse a lucrative offer.
Watters further suggested that high-level U.S. officials could soon push the issue to a resolution. He said that once Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Sen. Elissa Slotkin, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio “get into a room with these guys and knock their heads together,” the United States would secure Greenland.
The comments come as Trump continues to insist that Greenland is vital to U.S. national security due to its Arctic location, missile defense potential, and growing competition with China and Russia in the region. Greenland’s government and Denmark have repeatedly rejected any notion of selling or transferring sovereignty, and European leaders have warned that such rhetoric threatens unity within NATO.
While Watters’ remarks do not represent official U.S. policy, they reflect an increasingly aggressive narrative among Trump allies that frames Greenland not only as a strategic asset, but as a test of NATO burden-sharing and European reliance on American military protection.
