Greenland, USA? Here's Why Donald Trump Wants to Buy Greenland So Badly

When it comes to making big promises and sweeping changes as president, few U.S. presidents are as bold as President-elect Donald Trump. The hard-hitting business mogul and Republican president is gearing up for his second term, and it's a case of, "second verse, same as the first," for many of his policies.

During campaigning, Trump revived some of his favorite lines, blaming immigrants for many of the woes Americans face today, promising to punish other countries for acting against America's best interest, and one of his favorites: buying Greenland. But why does Trump want Greenland so badly? Here's his explanation for why the 800,000-square-mile island is so important in his round two agenda.

It may seem like a bit of an odd obsession, buying Greenland. Yet it was a consistent-if-sudden theme throughout Donald Trump's first administration. So why is he so obsessed with the idea, and why does he want Greenland to begin with?

The once and future president gave people an insight into his thoughts on Truth Social, explaining why he believes the large island is so important. Greenland, which is an autonomous territory owned by Denmark, lies in the far north of the globe, placed strategically between most major countries and the United States.

While tapping his second-term pick for United States Ambassador to the Kingdom of Denmark, Ken Howery, he briefly touched on his goals.

Trump wrote, "For purposes of National Security and Freedom throughout the World, the United States of America feels that the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity."

Surprisingly, this is not the first time the United States has tried to try to buy Greenland, as there's a bit of history there. Back in 1946, the United States tried to buy Greenland from Denmark for $100 million gold bars.

The attempted sale wasn't declassified until 1991, with Time writing that the purchase was considered to be a "military necessity.” The attempt was made again in 1947.

Of course, the real reason may go beyond national security, and stray into the territory of convenience and power. As the world is affected by global warming, Greenland is rapidly changing. Although the island is not overly rife with resources, the warming climate is unveiling more of the land for use.

And Trump's Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said back in May (per Time), "Steady reductions in sea ice are opening new passageways and new opportunities for trade. This could potentially slash the time it takes to travel between Asia and the West by as much as 20 days. Arctic sea lanes could [become] the 21st century Suez and Panama Canals.”

So with a combination of strategic importance plus dangling the added carrot of being able to purchase the convenience of shorter travel time for cargo and military vessels, it's easy to understand why Trump is so focused on making the purchase.

While it seems random, especially considering everything else that's happening these days, there's some relevance behind the move.