Top aide confirms Trump interested in buying Greenland

A senior White House official on Sunday confirmed that President Donald Trump has raised the issue of the United States possibly trying to buy the island of Greenland from Denmark, even though Danish officials say the North Atlantic outpost is not for sale.

'Greenland is a strategic place," top economic adviser Larry Kudlow said at the end of an interview with Fox News Sunday, acknowledging that the President is interested.

"The President - who knows a thing or two about buying real estate - wants to take a look," Kudlow added.

The comments came even as officials in Denmark and Greenland said the island was not for sale.

Dana asks Larry Kudlow about purchasing Greenland "The President knows a thing or two about buying real estate" #FNS pic.twitter.com/HeaxR49JuU
— FoxNewsSunday (@FoxNewsSunday) August 18, 2019

Larry Kudlow on Greenland: “We’re looking at it, I don’t know. Denmark owns Greenland. Denmark is an ally. Greenland is a strategic place. They’ve got a lot of valuable minerals....the president, who knows a thing or two about buying real estate, wants to take a look”
— Igor Bobic (@igorbobic) August 18, 2019

Kudlow noted that President Harry Truman had raised the same possibility when he was in office, but the idea went nowhere.

"We're open for business, not for sale," said Greenland's official representative to the U.S. in a tweet.

Reaction from Congress to the news reports about the idea of buying Greenland was muted.

GOP Rep. Tim Burchett of Tennessee said on Twitter that he wouldn't support such an idea during a time of budget deficits.

“I think it's Trump's Folly,” said Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA).

The New York Daily News may have had the most fun with the story, printing a headline on Saturday which echoed one of the tabloid's most famous headlines ever.