President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he would pivot to other tools to gain control of Greenland if the Supreme Court rules against his tariff policy, which he is using to try to pressure European leaders into backing the takeover.
“What we’re doing now is the best, the strongest, the fastest, the easiest, the least complicated,” Trump said about his tariff policy at a White House briefing. Asked what he would do if the court ruled against him, he replied: “I have to use something else.”
“We have other alternatives,” he added.
The Supreme Court is expected to rule soon on Trump’s use of tariffs. He recently announced tariffs as part of an economic pressure campaign to acquire Greenland, a territory of Denmark, including a 10% duty starting Feb. 1 on Denmark and seven allied countries set to rise to 25% on June 1 unless they agree to a “complete and total purchase of Greenland.”
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Trump’s comments come as he ramps up demands for U.S. control of the country and prepares to take the issue directly to allied leaders. Trump said he has “a lot of meetings scheduled on Greenland” at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where he is traveling Tuesday night.
“I think things are going to work out pretty well, actually,” he said.
Pressed on how far he is willing to go to “acquire” Greenland, Trump declined to lay out limits.
“You’ll find out,” he said.
Trump also rejected the idea that the standoff could fracture NATO, arguing he has strengthened the alliance by pushing allies to increase defense spending.
“I think that we will work something out where NATO is going to be very happy and where we’re going to be very happy,” he said, again framing Greenland as essential for “national security and even world security.”
Asked about Greenlanders who have said they do not want to become part of the United States, Trump suggested their view would change once he made his case.
“I haven’t spoken to them. When I speak to them, I’m sure they’ll be thrilled,” he said.
The remarks come as Trump, in his latest overnight Truth Social posting spree, posted an AI-edited image showing an expanded U.S. map that portrayed Greenland, Canada and Venezuela under the American flag. He also shared another AI-generated image depicting him planting a U.S. flag in Greenland beside a sign that read, “Greenland, US Territory, Est. 2026.”
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