John Bolton, a veteran foreign policy official, says that President-Elect Donald Trump may want to open a casino in Greenland if the U.S. manages to acquire it. Bolton briefly served as Trump’s national security advisor during his first administration. He mentioned in a recent interview with The Free Press that Trump wants to put a casino in Nuuk, the capital city of Greenland.
Is Trump serious?
Trump had many casinos in Las Vegas at one point. His casino empire failed but he managed to do well out of them while they were operating. His name is currently used in several resorts and hotels owned and operated by the Trump organization. Acquiring some online casinos or setting up other retail casinos is not outside the bounds of possibility considering his past actions.
Does he really want to acquire Greenland?
It is difficult to know whether Trump is serious or not about acquiring Greenland. He has also made suggestions that Canada should be part of the U.S., and that the U.S. should re-acquire the Panama Canal. Bolton himself says in the interview with The Free Press that he doesn’t know whether Trump is serious or not.
Bolton did look at some initial options for the U.S. to take over Greenland while he was Trump’s national security advisor. Trump talked about this publicly and the whole idea blew up and never got anywhere. The Danish prime minister thought it was an absurd idea and many TV show hosts made jokes about the proposals. If Trump pushes the idea, the Danish prime minister will probably want to take a vacation for mental health.
Bolton suggests that Trump should close his mouth and try to negotiate it privately if he is really interested in the U.S. acquiring Greenland.
Is Greenland important for U.S. security?
Trump has been floating the idea of acquiring Greenland since 2018. Since his re-election, he has raised the possibility again. In a recent Tweet, he said that the ownership and control of Greenland was an absolute necessity for National Security and freedom throughout the world.
In his interview with The Free Press, Bolton said Greenland relates to U.S. security for many reasons. This has been evident since World War II when the Danish government fell, and it was necessary for the U.S. to protect North Atlantic convoys and its own interests against the Nazis.
The U.S. built an Airforce base in Thule, Greenland after World War 2. The close geographical proximity to the U.S. and being part of the North American landmass makes it of strategic interest from a security viewpoint.
Is there a plan to buy Greenland?
Trump Jr. recently visited Nuuk and posted on X to announce his arrival there. Elon Musk posted that if the people in Greenland wanted to be part of America, they would be most welcome.
There may be a plan to buy Greenland but Greenland’s Prime Minister, Mute Egede, says that the island is not for sale and never will be. It has fought too hard for freedom.
Greenland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs also posted a tweet stating that the island was open for business, not for sale. The island is rich in resources such as minerals, seafood, and renewable energy. It is also a new frontier for adventure tourism.
