Trump allies renew Greenland, Canada takeover talk
Greenland remains part of Denmark “for now,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said during a Wednesday House hearing — a nod to President Trump’s repeated threats to take over the allied island.
The big picture: Rubio’s comment comes after Trump renewed his favored jab at Canada as the “51st State.” Those musings reflect the Trump administration’s broader assertion of global power that’s antagonized friends and foes alike.
Driving the news: At a House hearing Wednesday, Rubio was pressed on Trump’s assertion that the U.S. needs to control Greenland — a self governing territory that is part of Denmark — in order to properly defend the island.
Trump’s “view is that it’s a lot easier to defend it when you have control and complete control of it,” Rubio told Democratic Rep. Sarah McBride.
He added that the U.S. is in a “good place” in discussions with Greenland and Denmark over the use of the strategically situated, resource-rich territory for collective defense.
A White House official told Axios that the administration is participating in “diplomatic high-level technical talks” with Greenland and Denmark and that it is “optimistic that we’re on a good trajectory.”