Ted Cruz Backs Greenland Acquisition as U.S. Lawmakers Split on Strategic Value

MLN — 19 JAN 2026: Senator Ted Cruz of Texas said on Sunday that acquiring Greenland would be “overwhelmingly in America’s national best interest,” praising President Donald Trump for prioritizing U.S. economic and national security interests as the administration explores the idea, according to remarks made during a televised interview.

Cruz said Greenland’s strategic location and vast mineral resources make it critical to U.S. interests, pointing to rare earth and critical minerals as well as the island’s position in the Arctic. He said the region is increasingly important amid rising competition with Russia and China, according to his comments during the broadcast.

White House officials have recently floated the possibility of acquiring Greenland either through purchase or other means, citing national security concerns, according to officials familiar with the discussions. The renewed focus has drawn sharp resistance from Denmark, which has repeatedly said the self-governing territory is not for sale.

compared the proposal to past U.S. territorial acquisitions, including the Louisiana Purchase and the purchase of Alaska, arguing those deals later proved strategically significant.

His comments align with remarks from Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, who has also likened the Greenland proposal to historic land acquisitions that reshaped U.S. power.

Not all Republicans agree. Representative Michael McCaul of Texas said the United States already has the ability to increase its military presence in Greenland without acquiring the territory.

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McCaul said there is no indication Denmark would agree to a sale and warned that any attempt to seize Greenland by force would risk a conflict with NATO allies.

The debate highlights growing divisions in Washington over how far the United States should go to secure strategic resources and influence in the Arctic, as global competition in the region intensifies. Watch the interview