Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) continued Monday to press the case for a U.S. acquisition of Greenland, decrying the “historical ignorance” of those who criticized President Trump for his interest in buying the island from Denmark.
“After news leaked last week that President Trump had expressed interest in acquiring Greenland from Denmark, his critics predictably derided him as crazy,” Cotton wrote in a an op-ed published by the New York Times. “But once again, the president is crazy like a fox.”
Trump announced last week that he was canceling a planned two-day state visit to Denmark next month after Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen dismissed the idea of a U.S. purchase of Greenland as “absurd.” Trump subsequently called her comments “nasty” and affront to the United States.
The flap prompted Cotton to disclose last week that he had discussed the idea of buying Greenland — a self-governing country that is part of the kingdom of Denmark — in a previous conversation with Trump and called it “obviously the right decision for the United States.”
Cotton elaborated on his views in the Times op-ed, arguing that a U.S. purchase “would secure vital strategic interests for the United States, economically benefit both us and Greenlanders, and would be in keeping with American — and Danish — diplomatic traditions.”
In his piece, Cotton cited several previous land purchases by the United States.
“Despite the historical ignorance of the president’s critics, the negotiated acquisition of sovereignty is a long-standing and perfectly legitimate tool of statecraft, particularly in the American tradition,” he wrote. “More than one-third of America’s territory was purchased from Spain (Florida), France (the Louisiana Purchase), Mexico (the Gadsden Purchase) and Russia (Alaska).”
Cotton also noted that the during the tenure of President Woodrow Wilson, the United States paid $25 million to purchase the Danish West Indies, which are now known as the U.S. Virgin Islands.
As Trump has mentioned on several occasions, Cotton also noted that the United States offered $100 million to purchase Greenland from Denmark during the presidency of Harry Truman.
“While the deal didn’t go through, we kept troops on the island throughout the Cold War,” Cotton wrote. “Today, the Air Force’s 21st Space Wing is stationed at Thule Air Base in western Greenland to support our ballistic-missile defenses and space missions.”
Speaking to reporters in Washington last week, Trump said he was not pleased by the way Frederiksen “blew me off.”
“She shouldn’t treat the United States that way,” Trump said. “She said ‘absurd.’ That’s not the right word to use.”
His abrupt cancellation of his planned trip to Copenhagen was roundly criticized by Democrats, who questioned his treatment of a trusted NATO ally.
“It doesn’t take a member of the Intelligence Committee to know that canceling meetings with our foreign allies over the momentary whims of the President is absurd,” Rep. Mike Quigley (D-Ill.) wrote on Twitter. “We can’t keep making foreign policy decisions based on this President’s fantasy world.”
Trump and Frederiksen subsequently had a phone conversation that both countries characterized as “constructive.”
Felicia Sonmez contributed to this report.
