Trump's capture of Nicolás Maduro sent shockwaves across the world.
World leaders are watching nervously to see what Trump does next.
And Stephen Miller asked one question that made Denmark's Prime Minister fire back hard.
Stephen Miller questioned Denmark's claim to Greenland on CNN
White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller appeared on CNN Monday to defend President Trump's renewed push to acquire Greenland following the dramatic weekend operation that captured Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro.
CNN's Jake Tapper pressed Miller about a social media post from his wife Katie, who shared an image of Greenland covered in the American flag with the single word "SOON" just hours after the Venezuela raid.
Denmark's ambassador to the United States immediately pushed back, insisting his country expects "full respect for the territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark."
Miller didn't back down when Tapper asked repeatedly whether military action against Greenland was off the table.
Instead, Miller turned the question around on Denmark.
"The real question is by what right does Denmark assert control over Greenland?" Miller asked. "What is the basis of their territorial claim? What is their basis of having Greenland as a colony of Denmark?"
The Trump advisor argued that as NATO's dominant military power, the United States has every right to secure Greenland for strategic purposes.
"The United States is the power of NATO," Miller said. "For the United States to secure the Arctic region, to protect and defend NATO and NATO interests, obviously, Greenland should be part of the United States."
When Tapper asked if he could rule out military force to seize Greenland, Miller scoffed at the notion that any conflict would be necessary.
"It wouldn't be military action against Greenland," Miller explained. "Greenland has a population of 30,000 people, Jake. There's no need to even think or talk about this in the context that you're asking, of a military operation. Nobody's going to fight the United States militarily over the future of Greenland."
Denmark's Prime Minister delivered a stern warning to Trump
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen wasn't laughing off Miller's comments.
She issued a televised statement Sunday telling Trump to "stop the threats" against Denmark and Greenland.
"The U.S. has no right to annex" territories of Denmark, Frederiksen said in her statement.
Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen also pushed back against the administration's rhetoric, calling Katie Miller's social media post "disrespectful."
"Our country is not for sale and our future is not determined by social media posts," Nielsen said. "We are a democratic society with autonomy, free elections and strong institutions."
Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One Sunday night that "we need Greenland from the standpoint of national security" because the Arctic territory "is covered with Russian and Chinese ships all over the place."
"Denmark is not going to be able to do it," Trump added, dismissing the idea that the small European nation could adequately defend the strategically vital island.
Frederiksen warned Trump that attacking Greenland would destroy NATO.
"If the U.S. chooses to attack another NATO country militarily, everything stops, including NATO and thus the security that has been provided since the end of World War II," the Danish Prime Minister stated.
Miller's comments reveal Trump's new foreign policy doctrine
Miller's CNN interview crystallized the Trump administration's approach to international relations after the Venezuela operation.
"We live in a world in which you can talk all you want about international niceties and everything else," Miller told Tapper. "But we live in a world, in the real world, that is governed by strength, that is governed by force, that is governed by power."
The Trump advisor made clear the administration sees itself operating by different rules than previous presidents.
"We're a superpower," Miller said. "And under President Trump, we are going to conduct ourselves as a superpower."
Greenland sits at a critical geographic chokepoint. The Arctic ice is melting and Russia and China are already moving in. Greenland sits right in the middle of it all.
The island is loaded with rare earth minerals — the kind of stuff you need to build missiles and fighter jets and all the high-tech weapons that keep America ahead of our enemies. Trump knows whoever controls those resources controls the future. And he's not about to let Beijing or Moscow get there first.
The U.S. already operates Pituffik Space Base in Greenland, which hosts critical early warning systems for detecting long-range missiles. Vice President JD Vance toured the facility in March 2025.
Miller questioned why Denmark should continue controlling territory it can't adequately defend when the United States bears the burden of protecting NATO members.
Denmark recently summoned the U.S. ambassador after Trump appointed a special envoy to Greenland, viewing the move as treating the autonomous Danish territory like a target rather than a partner.
Danish intelligence even formally reassessed the United States as a potential security challenge for the first time, citing Trump administration pressure tactics and concern that Greenland has become a focal point of American power projection.
Trump's success capturing Maduro without Congressional approval or allied coordination signals he's willing to take bold unilateral action on the world stage.
Denmark is discovering that Trump views Greenland the same way he viewed Venezuela — as a strategic prize America needs and Denmark can't stop him from taking.
Sources:
- Alexander Hall, "Stephen Miller dismisses the idea Denmark would fight for Greenland, claims it should be part of the US," Fox News, January 5, 2026.
- CNN Politics, "Venezuela, Greenland, Colombia: Stephen Miller sums up a new US mission statement of strength, force, and power," CNN, January 6, 2026.
- NPR, "Denmark's prime minister says 'stop the threats' of U.S. annexing Greenland," NPR, January 4, 2026.
- ArcticToday, "U.S. will 'soon' annex Greenland, wife of top Trump aide implies," ArcticToday, January 4, 2026.
- CBS News, "Denmark prime minister calls on Trump to 'stop the threats' about Greenland," CBS News, January 5, 2026.
