Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) said the United States acquiring Greenland is a “responsible conversation” and compared the bizarre idea to the Louisiana Purchase.
At a press conference at Mar-a-Lago Tuesday Trump, who has suggested that the U.S. take control over Greenland, which is a territory of Denmark, and the Panama Canal, told reporters he wouldn’t rule out using military action to do so.
While Fetterman said he “would never support taking it [Greenland] by force,” the Democratic senator told Fox News that it is a “responsible conversation” to discuss buying it.
“I do think it’s a responsible conversation if they were open to acquiring it and, you know, whether just buying it outright,” Fetterman said in an interview alongside Republican Sen. Katie Britt (Ala.) “I mean, if anyone thinks that’s bonkers, it’s like, well, remember the Louisiana Purchase? I think Alaska was a pretty great deal, too. $50 million, I think it was, it was referred to as Seward’s Folly.”
Greenland Prime Minister Múte Egede has said the island nation is “not for sale”
Also in the interview Fetterman advised his colleagues to pace themselves in their “freak outs” over Trump’s remarks given that he hasn’t taken office yet.
“He hasn’t even taken office in two weeks,” Fetterman said. “And, you know, we really need to pace ourselves if we’re going to freak out over every last tweet or every last conversation or press conference.”
Since the election, Fetterman has taken a more conciliatory tone with Trump than any of his Democratic colleagues.
Fetterman told ABC News in an interview that anyone rooting against Trump is “rooting against the nation” and praised the “undeniable” and “singular political talent” of Trump.
Fetterman has also indicated that he is open to supporting the president-elect’s most controversial nominees including Pete Hegseth, Trump’s nominee for defense secretary who is accused of sexual assault and Kash Patel, Trump’s pick to lead the FBI who has promised to use the agency to target Trump’s critics.
