Standing before global power brokers at the World Economic Forum in Davos, President Donald Trump delivered a sweeping address focused largely on America as a world power and why it should acquire Greenland. He also outlined the construct for what he called “the greatest golden dome ever built.”
From the outset, Trump framed his administration as responsible for an unprecedented economic boom. After inheriting what he termed “the nightmare of stagflation” under Former President Joe Biden, he declared that the United States is now experiencing “virtually no inflation and extraordinarily high economic growth.” He noted that in just one year, the stock market had achieved “52 all-time high records” and added “9 trillion dollars in value” to retirement and savings accounts.
But it was the geopolitical turn that captured global attention.
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Trump argued that Greenland—“a vast, almost entirely uninhabited and undeveloped territory”—sits “in a key strategic location between the United States, Russia and China,” making it, in his words, “a core national security interest of the United States of America.” Drawing on World War II history, he reminded listeners that when Denmark fell to Nazi Germany, “the United States was then compelled… to send our own forces to hold the Greenland territory… at great cost and expense.” After the war, the U.S. returned Greenland to Denmark, which Trump called a mistake.
He pointedly criticized Denmark for failing to defend or invest in Greenland, saying the country spent “less than 1%” of its pledged defense funds. Trump contrasted that with decades of American defense spending in Europe through NATO, insisting that the United States has received nothing in return: “We give so much and we get so little.”
That imbalance, he argued, justified a renegotiation: “All the United States is asking for is a place called Greenland.”
Anticipating fears that America might seize the island by force, Trump directly rejected that idea. “I won’t use force. I don’t have to use force. I don’t want to use force.” Instead, he insisted the matter would be pursued through negotiation and alliance diplomacy: “They can say yes, and we will be very appreciative, or they can say no, and we will remember.”
Then came another audacious element of Trump’s speech: a vision for a monumental defensive structure. “…we’re going to build the greatest golden dome ever built,” Trump declared. “We are going to build a dome like no other… defending Canada,” and protecting North America from hostile powers.
For Trump, the request is modest compared to decades of American investment in European defense: “A very small ask,” he insisted.
Whether allies of the United States see it that way remains to be seen.
Abby Trivett is a writer and editor for Charisma Media and has a passion for sharing the gospel through the written word. She holds two degrees from Regent University, a B.A. in Communication with a concentration in Journalism and a Master of Arts in Journalism. She is the author of the upcoming book, The Power of Suddenly: Discover How God Can Change Everything in a Moment.
