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Real message by Trump links Greenland threats to Nobel Peace Prize snub

The catalog of claims we’ve unpacked about Denmark grew in January 2026 as Trump’s plan to acquire Greenland made headlines.

by Anna Rascouët-Paz, Jan. 20, 2026

Image courtesy of Per Palmkvist Knudsen via Wikimedia Commons

In January 2026, U.S. President Donald Trump repeatedly said he planned to acquire Greenland. Meanwhile, the Kingdom of Denmark — to which Greenland belongs — and several other NATO allies resisted this plan.

After a speech he gave at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 21, 2026, Trump said a new framework for negotiations on Greenland was in place, following a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.

As Denmark became the focus of this chapter in diplomatic brinkmanship, a rash of fresh claims about the kingdom, both true and false, circulated online. Rumors about Denmark are nothing new, however. Here are 16 claims involving the country that Snopes has investigated over the years.

By Anna Rascouët-Paz

Anna Rascouët-Paz is based in Brooklyn, fluent in numerous languages and specializes in science and economic topics.

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No Credible Reports Trump's Got a Deal To Buy Greenland

Jan. 8, 2025

The U.S. president-elect had recently expressed renewed interest in the Arctic island after he f ...

A white man wearing a blue suit walks holding hands with an Indian woman wearing a pea green coat and smiling at the camera. They are surrounded by people walking around them.

Usha Vance's Greenland visit plans were changed, not canceled. Officials have given different reasons why

March 28, 2025

According to the vice president's office, the second lady's travel plans changed after Vice Pres ...

A white man wearing a dark suit is pictured next to a white woman wearing a white top.

Video of Danish parliament laughing at Trump's Greenland comments isn't real

April 4, 2025

A 2019 video of the Danish parliament was doctored to add audio of Trump talking about acquiring ...

Trump admin may have floated giving each Greenlander $10K per year to replace $600M in Danish subsidies

April 18, 2025

The alleged plan, which Snopes was unable to independently confirm, was first reported by The Ne ...

Why a construction company in Denmark returned its fleet of Teslas

Sept. 10, 2025

The Tscherning group is among the largest companies in Denmark's construction sector.

A phone is pictured on a blue flag with yellow stars. A thick white phone is around the phone.

What we know about the EU's attempt to scan private messages

Oct. 21, 2025

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Screenshot of X post from Katie Miller. There is an image of a map of Greenland with the American flag overlaid atop it. The post's text says "SOON"

Did Katie Miller post Greenland map overlaid with US flag, captioning it 'SOON'?

Jan. 6, 2026

Miller, a conservative podcaster and wife of a key Trump adviser, posted the map following the U ...

A map of the UK is shown next to an insert of a map of Greenland. The Greenland map shows an outline of the country with a circle inside it. The top half of the map is white with the circle red, while the bottom Half is red with the circle white.

Unraveling claim UK has 'dibs' on Greenland should Denmark decide to sell territory

Jan. 8, 2026

The rumor came from Denmark's former Minister of Greenland Tom Høyem. A British journalist contr ...

Photo of Greenland's and Denmark's flags waving on side-by-side poles in front of a white building

Denmark must defend Greenland, but didn't issue 'shoot first, ask questions later' warning

Jan. 9, 2026

Denmark confirmed to a newspaper that a 74-year-old national defense order is still in force tod ...

Beware rumor Denmark renamed Greenland 'Epstein Island' to stop Trump from talking about it

Jan. 9, 2026

The claim spread after U.S. President Donald Trump said the United States needs to acquire Green ...

Yes, Ted Cruz said in 2016 that Trump 'would have nuked Denmark'

Jan. 17, 2026

The decade-old clip circulated in 2026 as the Trump administration sought to acquire Greenland, ...

Real message by Trump links Greenland threats to Nobel Peace Prize snub

Jan. 20, 2026

Spokespeople for both the Norwegian government and the Trump administration confirmed the messag ...

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