US President Donald Trump’s approval ratings appear to have taken a hit amid his desire to acquire Greenland. At the beginning of 2026, Trump rallied for the United States to purchase Greenland, even going as far as to state that he might have to take stricter action if his desires were not met. His stance now appears to have impacted his approval ratings.
Greenland talk affects Donald Trump’s approval rating
According to a report by AP News, Trump’s desire to acquire Greenland and his statements regarding it have caused his approval ratings to fall.
Based on an AP-NORC poll, Trump is becoming quite unpopular among adults in the US. While 24 percent of them are in support of Trump’s stance on Greenland, a record 72 percent are against it. The data from the survey also suggests that half of Republicans are also not in approval of his handling of Greenland.
Despite Trump asserting that the US has to take Greenland for security reasons involving Russia and China, younger demographics don’t seem to be taking to the idea.
Trump’s rhetoric when discussing Greenland has softened recently. However, Mette Frederiksen, the Danish Prime Minister, stated at the Munich Security Conference that he still has his eyes on the territory. As per BBC News, she said, “I think the desire from the US president is exactly the same. He’s very serious about this.”
On January 21, 2026, Trump announced that he had reached a deal regarding Greenland with Mark Rutte, the Secretary General of NATO. He wrote on Truth Social, “Based upon a very productive meeting that I have had with the Secretary General of NATO, Mark Rutte, we have formed the framework of a future deal with respect to Greenland and, in fact, the entire Arctic Region. This solution, if consummated, will be a great one for the United States of America and all NATO Nations.” This led to him backing down from imposing European tariffs.
Originally reported by Ishita Verma on Mandatory.
