The arguments in favor of Trump’s attempt to acquire Greenland has to do with natural resources, has to do with precious metals that we can’t get anywhere else, has to do with China making their move into Greenland. It has to do with the people in Greenland not being that crazy about the Denmark leadership to begin with.
Transcript:
*This transcript was generated by a third-party transcription software company, so please excuse any typos.
Mike Papantonio: So, Farron, do you have plenty of warm clothes? I’m wondering about this next story. When we acquire Greenland, will you go there and live? Have you spent any time there to understand this is probably not the kind of place you want to live. Maybe it is. But the odd thing about this story is it started off, the first time I heard it, I cracked up. But then the arguments that are coming out since then are pretty good arguments. The arguments has to do with natural resources, has to do with precious metals that we can’t get anywhere else, has to do with China making their move into Greenland. It has to do with the people in Greenland not being that crazy about the Denmark leadership to begin with. What’s your take on the Greenland story?
Farron Cousins: Right. The people of Greenland have made it clear we want to be our own country.
Mike Papantonio: Right. Not a US.
Farron Cousins: We don’t want you to control us. We don’t want you to control us. We’re ready for sovereignty and it’s still, in the year 2025, eludes us somehow, which is very just weird to think about colonization and things like that in this time of human history. But that’s where we are with Greenland.
Mike Papantonio: Empire building, isn’t it?
Farron Cousins: Yeah. And the problem is, yes, Greenland does have all of these minerals and all of these things that the tech companies want. The manufacturing companies want. And the biggest issue that I think is often overlooked in this is why are these even available now? Because we’ve destroyed the planet so much that the ice sheets have now melted to the point where we can finally get to these things.
Mike Papantonio: The arctic argument. The transport, the natural, we’re locust. You and I have said that the human race, we’re like locust. Put us anywhere and we’re going to destroy all the crops. We’re going to eat everything right down to the dirt. And that’s what your concern is probably here. Would be one of mine. If I was living in Greenland, it would certainly be a concern of mine. But it’s one of the arguments. Either way, it’s a strategic position, from a national defense.
Farron Cousins: Right. We have a military base there.
Mike Papantonio: Exactly. You had Truman make an attempt to do this. I think he wanted, Seward you know came in and said, hey, we’ll give you $5 million. And then Truman made another run at it because he’s concerned from a national security concern. But now the argument is that China wants the cerium. Cerium is an important precious metal that they use for computers, telephones, chips, name it and so China said, we’re going to control that market. And Trump is saying, oh, hell, you’re not, because we’re going to try to get it from Greenland. Where do you think this lands?
Farron Cousins: To me, the whole China issue, I don’t know what to believe anymore because my God, how many times have we heard the media and government officials from both parties cry wolf about China? Like, oh my God, China took your data from TikTok. We got to ban TikTok. And then their own reports said, well, actually no, they didn’t do any of it.
Mike Papantonio: There was no proof that they did anything like that.
Farron Cousins: Right. So every time we need an enemy to kind of push us to do something, China is right there to be that enemy. And, yes, do they want those resources? Sure they do. So does England and France and Germany and Russia and Africa. Everybody wants them and it’s up to the people of Denmark to decide who is going to be allowed to do that. So instead of saying maybe we send the military there, how about you say, Denmark, what can we do to kind of increase good relations? Have an actual diplomat.
Mike Papantonio: What do you need Greenland? Can we deliver that for you?
Farron Cousins: Exactly. If you want these things, maybe try a little honey instead of the vinegar.
Mike Papantonio:Well, he started talking about it, Trump’s been talking about this since 2019. That’s the first time he brought it up and everybody just kind of coughed and said, yeah, that’s crazy talk. But now the arguments are coming together that it’s about national security. That’s one of the arguments. It’s about the fact that we could certainly use those precious metals because China’s trying to dominate the area. And the other argument is control of the arctic, that arctic passage that allows for shipping and all types of things. So we know China’s trying to do that. There’s some truth to that. There’s a little bit of truth to everything’s being said here, you see? And I see China really is somewhat of a threat. They’re not going to stop until they, especially when we start with tariffs, especially when we get away from this notion of global economy and we start building here in America again. Hopefully that happens. I really hope that happens. I’d like to see a vibrant American economy built on a vibrant America industry and vibrant American farming and that type of thing and I think that does away with the notion of globalism. But with China’s expansion into globalism, they’re not going to stop. My God, they’re going all over the planet right now, Africa, South America, Asia, way separated types of Asia. So, I don’t know. I think there’s some probably concerns that they’re justified here.
Farron Cousins: Well, on the issue of Greenland is, it is a territory that’s owned by another country. We can’t be making threats that we’re going to be sending our military in there to take it, again, as I said.
Mike Papantonio: Did he actually make the threat or was he, what was it?
Farron Cousins: They said, will you rule out using the military to do it? And he said no. And then JD Vance about a week later said, what people don’t understand is we already have boots on the ground. So I think the whole thing is if we want these resources, obviously you’re going to have to destroy Greenland to get them. But if you absolutely want ’em, if Greenland’s going to start mining them and putting them on the market, then go start sucking up to Denmark a little bit.
Mike Papantonio: Yeah. Don’t threaten them.
Farron Cousins: Right.
Mike Papantonio: I buy that too. It’s crazy talk.
