Rubio says Trump is fully apprised of the Greenland deal when asked whether he misunderstood it
Marco RubioU.S. Secretary of State, at a press availability after the G20 foreign ministers' meeting in Atlanta
Secretary of State Marco Rubio answers a question about Trump's comments on the Greenland agreement at a press availability after the G20 foreign ministers' meeting in Atlanta, October 31, 2026.
Excerpt from 37:52 to 39:41 of the U.S. Department of State video. DI added its logo in the corner.
Video: U.S. Department of State. Public domain (U.S. government work) (opens in a new tab)
Watch the full original video (opens in a new tab) (relevant passage: 38:03 to 39:49, question on the Greenland agreement and Rubio's answer)
At a press availability closing the G20 foreign ministers' meeting in Atlanta on October 31, 2026, a reporter told Secretary of State Marco Rubio that Trump had been saying on the campaign trail that Denmark gave Greenland to the United States, and asked whether Trump or the people of Denmark and Greenland had misunderstood the agreement. Rubio said he was not sure which comments the reporter meant, that Trump is fully apprised of the deal and supports it, and that the agreement will exist in perpetuity whether Greenland one day becomes independent or stays part of the Kingdom of Denmark.
“Yeah, I'm not sure what comments you're referring to, and I certainly haven't followed how it's been covered in Denmark. Suffice it to say we have a very good deal, one the President is fully apprised of, he understands, and is very supportive of. ... we now have an agreement in place that will exist in perpetuity that ensures not just the equities of North America, meaning the United States and Canada, but all of our partners in NATO as well.”
Original video
Original text
Other statements by Marco Rubio in this case
- Marco Rubio says the Greenland deal permanently addresses U.S. national security concerns at zero taxpayer costEarlier: Defended or excused
Where this statement fits
Trump’s “permanent control” description of the announced U.S.-Denmark-Greenland security agreement
On September 18, 2026, President Donald Trump announced an agreement with Denmark and Greenland that he said gives the United States “permanent control over security, and all other needs, in Greenland.” Danish and Greenlandic officials initially described an expected agreement and emphasized sovereignty and self-determination. On September 22, the White House published an agreement text dated that day. It reaffirms Denmark’s sovereignty and Greenland’s right to self-determination; provides for U.S. defense areas and access under stated procedures; bars non-NATO states from establishing military installations unless the parties agree otherwise; and has no end date. The text says it enters into force only after diplomatic notice of necessary parliamentary procedures. The dispute remains over how Trump’s “permanent control” description compares with the document’s terms.
Source and context
Original video
About this source
Official State Department video of Rubio's press availability at the close of the G20 foreign ministers' meeting in Atlanta on October 31, 2026.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Watch the clip from this source at the top of the page.
Original text
About this source
State Department transcript of Rubio's press availability at the Loews Atlanta after the G20 foreign ministers' meeting, October 31, 2026.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
The reporter said that for the past few weeks Trump had told campaign audiences he was glad Denmark gave Greenland to the United States, and that this was perceived differently in Denmark and Greenland. At an October 24 rally in Perry, Georgia, Trump said Denmark gave the United States Greenland.
After the quotation
Rubio said Greenland's location has always made it important to U.S. national security, more so now because of missile defense and the Arctic, and called the agreement a very positive deal that gave Trump what he was most interested in. He then took the next question.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The reference point is Trump's description of the agreement as giving the United States permanent control over security and all other needs in Greenland. Asked whether Trump had misunderstood the deal, Rubio says Trump understands and supports it and describes an agreement that will exist in perpetuity and keep potential adversaries out of Greenland, which backs the permanence in Trump's description. The closest competing label is challenges the characterization, because Rubio describes a Greenland that may become independent or stay part of the Kingdom of Denmark, unlike Trump's rally line that Denmark gave Greenland to the United States. That loses because Rubio does not dispute or correct Trump: he says he is not sure which comments the reporter means and defends the deal and Trump's grasp of it.
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More from this case
Read the full caseTrump says the United States has Greenland now on an unlimited basis
“And when you add the United States and Venezuela together, and then you add Greenland, if you'd like, because we also have Greenland now. We worked out a great deal. We want to thank Denmark and Europe for making that possible. ... We got Greenland on an unlimited basis.”Read statement
Scott Horton says Trump announces at rallies an intention to violate the Greenland agreement
“Trump talks about how he "got Greenland" at every rally now, and people in Greenland, Denmark and around the world take note of how he signed agreements and then announced in campaign rallies his intention to violate them. This is not a joke.”Read statement
Trump tells a Perry, Georgia, rally that Denmark gave the United States Greenland
“You know, by the way, Denmark was so great. They gave us Greenland. You do know that? You don't read about it? ... He's going to attack Greenland, that Denmark gave us. We signed an agreement. You know what? The press have already covered it. It's gonna go down as the greatest real estate deal in history, probably after Venezuela. I think Venezuela. What do you think? Venezuela or Greenland? Both. ... We, we got 'em both. Zero. For zero.”Read statement
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The Dispute Index. "Rubio says Trump is fully apprised of the Greenland deal when asked whether he misunderstood it". First published: 2026-11-03. Last updated: 2026-11-03. https://disputeindex.com/events/7840-at-a-press-availability-closing-the-g20-foreign