Republican U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville said Tuesday that he does not believe President Donald Trump “wants to take Greenland by force.”
Tuberville said he was unsure why the European Union was “panicking about it,” but also said it was “time to play hardball” with the continent.
Speaking to the media before addressing the Mobile Chamber, Tuberville said he believes Trump wants to work with Greenland.
Tuberville is among Trump’s close allies in the U.S. Senate.
“We have a military base there and right now, we have Russia and China that are all over Greenland,” Tuberville said.
“They are trying to do the same thing we’re doing. It’s a huge national security objective of President Trump to secure seaways between Europe and Greenland. They have all kinds of opportunities there for oil, gas and natural minerals and all those things that we don’t have. We’ll see how that works out.”
Tuberville said he believes Europe is “panicking” about U.S. interests in Greenland and said he was unsure why. He said the U.S. has kept Europe informed for years about its interest in Greenland.
“It’s time we played hardball on the people who lived off us and we helped forever and we need to help the American people,” Tuberville said.
His comments echo those of Trump administration officials urging calm from European allies despite threatening comments by the president about acquiring Greenland, even if it includes military action.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said at a World Economic Forum event that European nations should keep an open mind about the U.S. interest in taking over Greenland and not resist. He urged them to “take a deep breath, do not retaliate.”
Concerns from European countries have also emerged as Trump has threatened tariffs against European nations that oppose U.S. control of Greenland.
Tuberville last March suggested that the people of Greenland, who are citizens of Denmark, are “all in” on a U.S. acquisition of the Danish kingdom.
His comments drew criticism from Danish Ambassador to the U.S. Jesper Moller Sorenson, who said the Alabama senator “simply got this wrong.”
Sorenson’s comments came ahead of Vice President JD Vance’s visit to Greenland last year.
“You have to revisit your facts on Greenland, including what the people want,” Sorenson wrote on the social media platform X.
“It is not respectful to send a delegation of senior officials at this time, when the Greenlandic politicians say that they do not want this visit. And by the way – Greenland is very good for your health!”
Tuberville is not seeking re-election to the Senate this year and is instead running for governor.
One of the Democratic candidates in the governor’s race said Greenland already has the full protection of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and that if China and Russia engage in wartime actions, “the full power and fury of this treaty alliance would be released on these two countries.”
“The world status of the United States is in jeopardy with these ridiculous efforts to conquer Greenland,” said Chad “Chig” Martin, one of at least four Democratic candidates running for governor in the May 19 primary.
“This is a smokescreen to distract from answering questions on certain issues that are being demanded by the American public. It just doesn’t make sense.”
Former Democratic U.S. Senator and governor’s candidate Doug Jones said the focus in Alabama should be on lowering costs for families, not concerns over occupying Greenland.
He also said that additional tariffs on allies will make costs go up higher on Alabama families.
“I have heard from Alabamians who are hurting from high prices,” Jones said. “I haven’t heard many demanding that we take over Greenland.”
Trump and his advisers have said there are multiple reasons for taking over Greenland, including security concerns, access to minerals and other strategic interests.
Trump wrote in a text message to Norway’s prime minister on Sunday that he no longer thinks “purely about peace” in how to acquire Greenland because Norway did not give him a Nobel Peace Prize.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has suggested the U.S. would purchase the Danish kingdom, although Danish and Greenlandic officials say the island cannot be bought.
Stephen Miller, a top Trump aide, has suggested the U.S. could seize it by force.
Polling shows that taking the country by military force is heavily opposed by most Americans, with only 9% in a Quinnipiac University poll saying they support taking Greenland by military force.
While almost all Democrats and independents polled oppose taking Greenland by force, 68% of Republicans also do not support military involvement.
Republican U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, who is not seeking re-election this year, derided Trump and his advisers for their interest in Greenland, saying he was “stick of stupid.”
This story was updated at 4:38 p.m. to include a comment from Senator Doug Jones.
