It’s a bold plan.
Republican members of the U.S. House of Representatives have proposed a bill that would allow President-elect Donald Trump to immediately begin talks with Denmark to purchase Greenland once he takes office. The bill, introduced by Rep. Andy Ogles from Tennessee, is called the “Make Greenland Great Again Act.” It grants Trump the authority to negotiate with the Danish government for the acquisition of Greenland and requires him to submit the agreement to relevant congressional committees within five days of finalizing it. Once submitted, Congress will have 60 days to review the agreement, after which it will go into effect unless Congress issues a resolution of disapproval.
The idea of acquiring Greenland was previously floated by Trump during his first term. He emphasized that control of the island was vital for U.S. national security and global freedom. However, both Danish and Greenlandic leaders have opposed the idea, with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen affirming that Greenland is not for sale. She also noted that the future of Greenland should be decided by the Greenlandic people.
Although the proposal has been rejected by Denmark and Greenland’s government, a recent poll from January 6-11 suggests that a majority of Greenlandic residents (57.3%) support joining the U.S., while 37.4% are opposed. Greenland, a territory of Denmark with a population of approximately 56,800, governs most of its domestic affairs but remains under Danish sovereignty.
In addition to its political status, Greenland has the highest abortion rate in the world, with 100.71 abortions per 1,000 women aged 15-39 in 2023. The country also recorded more abortions than live births that year, with 1,034 abortions compared to 716 live births. This has been a trend since 2012, and Greenland allows abortions for any reason within the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.
In comparison, countries like Brazil, Poland, Colombia, and Mexico have significantly lower abortion rates. The U.S. falls in the middle of the global rankings, with 16.63 abortions per 1,000 women in 2023.
