• Cruz appeared on Fox News defending the president’s pursuit of the Danish territory
• Multiple Republican senators have publicly rejected using military force against NATO ally
• Polls show only 17% of Americans support Greenland acquisition efforts

WASHINGTON, D.C. (TDR) — Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) delivered a full-throated defense of President Donald Trump’s ambitions to acquire Greenland during a Sunday appearance on Fox News, positioning the controversial proposal as essential to American national interests even as fellow Republican lawmakers mount opposition to any potential military intervention.

National Security Justification Drives Cruz Position

The Texas senator framed the Greenland acquisition as a strategic imperative during his interview with Fox News host Maria Bartiromo, echoing arguments he first articulated during a Senate Commerce Committee hearing he chaired examining Arctic policy.

“When it comes to Greenland, I want to commend President Trump for being single-mindedly focused on America First, on U.S. economic interests, and U.S. national security interests.”

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Cruz emphasized what he characterized as overwhelming benefits to American strategic positioning, drawing historical parallels to previous territorial acquisitions including the Louisiana Purchase and Alaska.

“I believe it is overwhelmingly in America’s national interest to acquire Greenland,” Cruz stated unequivocally during the broadcast.

The senator pointed to Greenland’s strategic location between North America and Europe, its position along potential intercontinental ballistic missile flight paths, and access to vast reserves of critical minerals including rare earth elements essential for advanced technology and defense applications.

Republican Opposition Crystallizes Against Military Action

Despite Cruz’s enthusiasm, a significant coalition of Republican senators has emerged to challenge any suggestion of using military force against Denmark, a longstanding NATO ally.

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Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) delivered pointed criticism of the administration’s approach during an appearance on NBC’s Meet the Press, warning that aggressive rhetoric undermines diplomatic efforts.

“Even the most hawkish members of our caucus have said they won’t support that,” Paul said regarding military intervention in Greenland. “You don’t get purchasers to come around by berating them and telling them you’ll take it anyway.”

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) pledged to travel to Copenhagen to assure Danish leadership that Congress would mount “substantial opposition” to any military action, emphasizing the constitutional separation of powers.

“I’m going to remind them that we have coequal branches of government and I believe that there [is a] sufficient number of members, whether they speak up or not, that are concerned with this,” Tillis told reporters.

Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, explicitly rejected both military force and purchasing Greenland over Danish objections.

“I do not support the president’s plan to annex Greenland by either force or by buying it over the opposition of people in Greenland and Denmark, a NATO ally.”

Strategic Importance Drives Competing Visions

The autonomous Danish territory occupies a critical position in Arctic geopolitics, hosting the U.S. Pituffik Space Base which provides missile warning and space surveillance capabilities. Greenland’s location astride the GIUK Gap—the maritime passage between Greenland, Iceland and the United Kingdom—makes it essential for monitoring Russian naval movements in the North Atlantic.

Climate change has amplified Greenland’s strategic value by opening new Arctic shipping routes and making mineral deposits more accessible. The island holds significant reserves of rare earth elements, lithium, and graphite—materials currently dominated by Chinese production.

“Greenland is located right on the Arctic. If, God forbid, we got into a military conflict with Russia or with China, ICBMs would come right over the Arctic and Greenland is ideally positioned to defend the United States of America,” Cruz argued during an earlier interview.

However, experts question whether territorial control offers advantages beyond existing cooperation agreements.

“The United States will gain no advantage if its flag is flying in Nuuk versus the Greenlandic flag,” Thomas Crosbie, an associate professor at the Royal Danish Defense College, told the Associated Press. “There’s no benefits to them because they already enjoy all of the advantages they want.”

Public Opinion Sharply Against Military Intervention

Recent polling reveals minimal American support for the acquisition effort. A Reuters/Ipsos survey found only 17% of Americans approve of efforts to acquire Greenland, including just 40% of Republicans.

Support plummets when military force enters the equation, with only 4% of Americans—and just 8% of Republicans—endorsing that approach. Opposition to military action reaches 86% overall, including 68% of Republicans, representing rare bipartisan consensus on a foreign policy issue.

Danish officials have maintained consistent rejection of American acquisition proposals. Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen confirmed after White House meetings that a “fundamental disagreement” persists between the Trump administration and Denmark.

“It’s clear that the president has this wish of conquering over Greenland. We made it very very clear that this is not in the interest of the Kingdom,” Rasmussen told reporters.

Greenlandic Prime Minister Múte Egede has emphasized his territory’s determination to chart its own course.

“Our future and fight for independence is our business,” Egede wrote on social media, rejecting outside pressure while his government pursues eventual full sovereignty from Denmark.

Historical Irony Shadows Current Debate

Cruz’s current advocacy carries additional resonance given resurfaced video from his 2016 presidential campaign, when he warned against then-candidate Trump’s temperament in foreign affairs.

“We’re liable to wake up one morning and Donald, if he were president, would have nuked Denmark,” Cruz said during a New Hampshire campaign event, a clip now circulating widely as tensions over Greenland escalate.

The senator has since become a staunch Trump ally, endorsing him in subsequent elections despite past criticism. Cruz’s transformation from Trump skeptic to supporter mirrors broader Republican Party realignment around the former president’s policy priorities.

Does America’s Arctic security require territorial control of Greenland, or can strategic interests be secured through continued cooperation with existing NATO allies?

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