I don't understand why he doesn't just come right out and say this. He's said some vague things, like for "national security" or "international security":

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-greenland-panama-canal-why-us-interest/

https://www.dw.com/en/trump-tells-nato-chief-the-us-needs-greenland/a-71918093

Maybe an admission that the Arctic is melting might mean he'd have to acknowledge global warming is real, and it would upset his supporters who also believe it's a hoax. He's said many, many times it's a hoax:

https://www.factcheck.org/2024/09/trump-clings-to-inaccurate-climate-change-talking-points/

https://democrats.org/news/donald-the-denier-donald-trump-has-repeatedly-called-climate-change-a-hoax/

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-51213003

https://www.forbes.com/sites/markjoyella/2022/03/21/on-fox-donald-trump-calls-climate-change-a-hoax-in-the-1920s-they-were-talking-about-global-freezing/

He did kinda change is mind once though sort of:

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/trump-says-climate-change-not-a-hoax-but-not-sure-of-its-source

And if he says it's real now, or even acknowledges the Arctic is melting, he'd have to admit he was wrong all those times before.

Regardless, the Arctic is melting, which means access to untapped resources and trade routes:

https://news.climate.columbia.edu/2022/09/13/what-lies-beneath-melting-glaciers-and-thawipermafrost/

https://www.earth.com/news/will-the-arctic-become-a-battleground-for-resource-extraction/

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/tensions-rise-as-nations-race-for-valuable-resources-in-the-arcticthe-arctic

Guess who has better access to all those resources and trade routes? Canada and Greenland. This is why he wants Canada to become the "51st state" and buy Greenland. r/Conservative had a literal article on their sub about Canadians who are thrilled to become part of the U.S. (it was from the Telegraph, UK) because I think they're trying to warm people up to the idea. Some of the comments on there were like, "Okay, Alberta might be all right, but nobody else!" But most posts over there about this subject are full of Conservatives that are flabbergasted and even kind of mad about his threats. It's not really popular even with them.

But the exact reason is Trump wants the resources in the Arctic and the trade routes. Period. And rather than just continuing friendly and peaceful relationships with the nations who have access to those resources, he'd rather just take away their sovereignty and make them part of this country, so they don't have control over them anymore.

I know he says a lot of things, and then will say the opposite of those things thirty seconds later, but he's kind of started to suggest global warming is good or beneficial:

https://www.eenews.net/articles/trump-to-musk-climate-change-means-more-oceanfront-property/

https://www.eenews.net/articles/trumps-next-climate-move-show-global-warming-benefits-humanity/

https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/4826175-trump-climate-change-not-biggest-threat/

I believe he's saying those things because melting ice, not just in the Arctic, but in Antarctica too, would mean exposing resources that could make a nation--or an individual--very wealthy and powerful.

I don't know if he wants to get those resources for himself, his businesses, his family, or his billionaire friend's like good old Elon. Or he thinks if he gets this for the US, he'll be praised for it and it will be his legacy. And if the U.S. has direct access and has control over that area, it would mean certain types manufacturing and businesses would come back to the U.S., like he promised to do, especially if they can get stuff like rare earth minerals, natural gas, and oil. I don't know. It could be a combination of all those things.

But the point is that he wants Canada and Greenland because of the Arctic's resources. That's what he wants. I tried to find somewhere where he's actually said this, aside from "drill baby, drill" but he hasn't. Aside from the vague things about security mentioned above, and opening up Alaska for more oil drilling, that's about it.

Most news stories about Trump's threats to Canada and Greenland are super vague about it too or don't even mention it at all, but that is absolutely what it is. And, yeah, there's definitely a domineering colonizing, "might makes right" element to the whole thing, but the Arctic's untapped resources and trade routes are why he's doing all this.

I don't think it's for any kind of security b/c why not just take Mexico? If him and Conservatives believe that illegal immigrants crossing that border is a security threat, why not just take the whole country over? Or El Salvador or Honduras while they're at it? I don't believe he's using it as leverage for trade, because wouldn't that sort of move be best focused on somewhere like China? Even Trump's merch is made in China, and since they're the world's factory now, and he wants to bring all that manufacturing back to the U.S., you'd think he'd leave our neighbor to the north alone and focus on the country that we buy most of our shit from. I know he's put tariffs on them too, but they're only, what, like 10%? A lot less than Mexico and Canada. And does Denmark even have any sort of negative impact on U.S. trade? I'm pretty sure they get a lot of stuff from us, so how could that be motivator for a trade war? Those things just don't seem like good reasons. I know he's not known for being a thoughtful planner, but still.

Change my view and let me know what other reason there could be? I really think getting the resources and trade routes in the Arctic is the only reason.

EDIT: to change that his supporters also believe climate change is a hoax, it was worded weird before. Sorry!