Why the U.S. Can't Buy Greenland
January 8, 2026
by William P. Meyers

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Only fools now loan money to the U.S. government

The United States certainly has the military capability to seize Greenland. And Trump has proposed increasing the military budget by about 50% next year.

But for now Bonespurs, I mean President Trump, and his bootlickers Marco Rubio and Offensive Secretary Pete Hegseth, are talking about buying Greenland.

To buy Greenland, at a fair price anyway, the U.S. would need money. Sure, Trump could offer each person in Greenland $1 million, and most would take the deal. Greenland's population is only about 57,000. A Billion is a thousand millions, so that purchase would only amount to $57 billion. A trivial addition to the U.S. debt. But to buy the entire island from Denmark, my guess is a fair price is more like a trillion dollars. Denmark has a population of over 6 million. So bribing them all with a million dollars each would cost the U.S. $6 trillion.

There is a word that would normally be used for federal finances. Bankrupt.

The U.S. national debt [per the debt clock] is already about $38.6 billion. Per taxpayer that is $356 thousand. Do you (if you even are a taxpayer) have the capability of paying your share of the debt.

The U.S. budget annual deficit, in 2025, was about $1.7 trillion. The deficit is likely to go up due to already passed Trump tax breaks for the rich, and promises of all kinds of giveaways. Somehow using the same tariff revenue multiple times.

A recession would drive up the deficit and national debt. Yet a strong economy won't help pay down the debt, because Trump and friends will just spend the money. In the private sector Trump has a reputation for being a big spender and then losing money, going bankrupt, and avoiding paying his own just debts.

No legitimate bank, including the Fed, would loan the U.S. enough money to buy Greenland.

In fact it is hard these days to find suckers to buy U.S. Treasuries (notes and bonds). This is particularly true of longer-term bonds, anything that needs to be paid back over more than 5 years.

It is hard to know when Trump is bluffing and when he is about to create another disaster. But I am sure he won't be buying Greenland, unless he demands it at an absurdly low price and threatens war if that price is not met.

Hitler did, despite his financial troubles, take the Rhineland. Then Austria. Then Czechoslovakia. Then Poland. Then France. Than half of European Russia, before he was stopped. Despite the pain, it seems like the world should stop Trump before he goes any further.