Following the recent capture of former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro by U.S. forces under President Donald Trump’s administration, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller discussed U.S. territorial interests during an interview on CNN. In the exchange with host Jake Tapper, Miller asserted that Greenland should be part of the United States to protect NATO and secure the Arctic region.
The conversation began with Tapper outlining the formal U.S. government position, stating, “It has been the formal position of the U.S. government since the beginning of this administration—frankly, going back into the previous Trump administration—that Greenland should be part of the United States. The president is very clear about that. It’s a formal position of the U.S. government.”
Miller then pressed Tapper on specifics, asking, “Right, but can you say military action against Greenland is off the table?” Tapper responded by seeking clarification, saying, “What do I mean by ‘military action against Greenland’? Greenland has a population of 30,000 people, Jake.”
Miller shifted focus to the legitimacy of Denmark’s control, questioning, “The real question is: By what right does Denmark assert control over Greenland? What’s the basis of their territorial claim? What is the basis for having Greenland as a colony of Denmark?” He continued, emphasizing U.S. strategic needs: “The United States is the power of NATO. For the United States to secure the Arctic region, to protect and defend NATO and NATO interests, obviously Greenland should be part of the United States. That’s a conversation we’re going to have as a country.”
Tapper followed up by asking, “So you can’t take it off the table that the U.S. would use military force to seize Greenland? You can’t take it off—” Miller interrupted, acknowledging the line of questioning: “Jake, I understand you’re trying very hard—which, again, is your job, I respect it—to get exactly that headline, right? That catchy headline trying to answer that says ‘Miller refuses to rule out…’”
Miller then reiterated the U.S. position without addressing military options directly, stating, “The United States should have Greenland as part of the United States. There’s no need to even think or talk about this in the context that you’re asking, of a military operation. Nobody is going to fight the United States militarily over the future of Greenland.”
The clip ended abruptly mid-sentence from Tapper: “One last question, Stephen… It doesn’t make any sense.” On-screen graphics during the broadcast included a breaking news banner reading “TRUMP SUGGESTS U.S. COULD INTERVENE IN GREENLAND,” along with a reference to the United Nations calling for the United States to release Venezuela-related figures.
