‘Trying hard to get a headline’: Jake Tapper badgers Stephen Miller about supposed American invasion of Greenland
CNN anchor Jake Tapper pressed White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller on Monday with a question designed to force a headline.
President Donald Trump again floated U.S. control of Greenland on Sunday, telling reporters aboard Air Force One that national-security concerns require American oversight because Denmark cannot adequately secure the strategically located, resource-rich island. Appearing on “The Lead,” Tapper repeatedly asked Miller to answer whether the administration would categorically exclude the use of military force in any future effort to bring Greenland under U.S. control.
“Can you rule out that the U.S. is ever going to try to take Greenland by force?” Tapper asked Miller.
“Let me go back a step. The president has been clear for months now,” Miller said.
“So I know you’re treating this as breaking news. The president has been clear for months now that the United States should be the nation that has Greenland as part of our overall security apparatus.”
Tapper pointed to a social-media post from Miller’s wife shortly after last weekend’s U.S. operation in Venezuela. Miller pushed back and told Tapper that U.S. policy toward Greenland has remained consistent since the start of the administration.
“Right, but your wife posted that like hours after the Venezuela operation. That’s why it’s newly relevant,” Tapper said.
“No, no, and I’ll talk with you about it for an hour. I think it’s a really important conversation. I just wanted to reset, Jake, by making clear that it has been the formal position of the U.S. government since the beginning of this administration,” Miller said. “Frankly, going back into the previous Trump administration, that Greenland should be part of the United States. The president has been very clear about that. That is the formal position of the U.S. government.”
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Katie Miller, the wife of Miller, posted an image on X showing Greenland draped in an American flag with the word “SOON” shortly after Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro was captured. As Tapper continued to narrow his questions toward the prospect of force, Miller refused to play along.
“The real question is, by what right does Denmark assert control over Greenland? What is the basis of their territorial claim? What is their basis of having Greenland as a colony of Denmark? 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. And so that’s a conversation that we’re going to have as a country. That’s a process we’re going to have as a new community of nations.”
Tapper persisted.
“So you cannot take it off the table that the U.S. would use military force to seize Greenland?” Tapper asked.
“Jake, I understand [what] you’re trying very hard to [do], which, again, is your job. I respect it. It’s great. To get exactly the headline, right, that catchy headline that says Miller refuses to rule out. The United States should have Greenland as part of the United States. There’s no need to even think or talk about this in the context that you’re asking of a military operation. Nobody’s gonna fight the United States militarily,” Miller said.
Trump has repeatedly pushed the idea of bringing Greenland under American authority, citing its Arctic position bridging North America and Europe and its vast stores of key resources. In late December, Trump selected Jeff Landry to serve as U.S. envoy on the issue.
Landry openly endorsed the plan on X days before Trump’s inauguration, writing that incorporating Greenland into the United States would benefit both sides. He urged swift action.
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