Trump says the United States has Greenland now on an unlimited basis
Donald TrumpPresident of the United States, speaking at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington
President Donald Trump says the United States has Greenland now on an unlimited basis during remarks at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington, November 2, 2026.
Excerpt from 29:41 to 30:44 of the White House video. DI added its logo in the corner.
Video: The White House. Public domain (U.S. government work) (opens in a new tab)
Watch the full original video (opens in a new tab) (relevant passage: 29:49 to 30:51, remarks on Venezuela, Greenland and oil)
In remarks at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington on November 2, 2026, Trump said the United States also has Greenland now, thanked Denmark and Europe for making the deal possible and said the United States got Greenland on an unlimited basis. He made the remark while counting Venezuela's and Greenland's oil alongside U.S. production.
“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.”
Original video
Other statements by Donald Trump in this case
- Trump tells a Syracuse rally he got Greenland and says the United States paid zeroEarlier: Defended or excused
- Trump calls Greenland 'our new and beautiful Greenland' and says exploration will beginEarlier: Defended or excused
- Trump tells a Perry, Georgia, rally that Denmark gave the United States GreenlandEarlier: 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 White House video of Trump's remarks at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington on November 2, 2026.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Watch the clip from this source at the top of the page.
Before the quotation
Trump was describing U.S. oil and gas production and said the United States won the war in Venezuela in one day and takes in Venezuelan oil every day. The September 22 agreement reaffirms the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Denmark and Greenland's right to self-determination and provides for U.S. defense areas under stated procedures.
After the quotation
Trump said that with Venezuela the United States has almost 50 percent of the world's oil, then turned to payments for soldiers and a proposed $5,000 payment to every adult if Republicans win the election.
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. Here he says the United States has Greenland now on an unlimited basis, which restates and extends that description to having the island itself. No competing label is close: he presents the deal as his own achievement without qualification.
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More from this case
Read the full caseRubio says Trump is fully apprised of the Greenland deal when asked whether he misunderstood it
“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.”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
Scott Horton says Trump's Greenland posts ignore the substance of the agreement he signed
“Another day, another series of lunatic social media posts by Trump effectively claiming that Greenland is "his" and that he will be licensing oil and gas exploration across the island. As usual, he completely ignores the substance of the agreement he just signed in New York.”Read statement
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The Dispute Index. "Trump says the United States has Greenland now on an unlimited basis". First published: 2026-11-03. Last updated: 2026-11-03. https://disputeindex.com/events/7841-in-remarks-at-the-lincoln-memorial-reflecting-pool