What A Day – "Why Greenland Keeps Rejecting America's Advances"

Podcast: What A Day (Crooked Media)
Host: Jane Coaston
Date: January 21, 2026

Main Theme & Purpose

This episode revolves around the United States’ peculiar, long-standing obsession with acquiring Greenland—most recently intensifying under President Trump’s renewed efforts—and the political, diplomatic, and historical reasons Greenland repeatedly resists. Jane Coaston unpacks the issue’s history, recent escalations, and global ramifications through an interview with Dr. Ronald Dole, expert on Cold War Arctic policy, professor at Florida State University, and co-editor of Exploring Cold War Science and Technology on Ice.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. America’s Greenland Obsession—Recap & Fallout

• (00:42–02:52)
  • President Trump recently revived his interest in acquiring Greenland, making vague threats and referencing the island in an offbeat press conference.
  • Despite repeated denials from Denmark, Greenland, France, the UK, and mass protests in Greenland’s capital Nuuk, the US push continues.
  • Protests: Greenlanders rally with signs and satirical red hats reading “Make America go away.”
  • “Stocks are plummeting and Trump’s obsession... is putting NATO at risk, scrambling decades old alliances, and even putting European right wing parties on defense.” (Jane Coaston, 02:14)
  • Even American voters strongly oppose acquiring Greenland.

2. Greenland’s Relationship to Denmark & Desire for Autonomy

• (03:32–06:43) Interview: Ronald Dole
  • Greenland’s Landscape: Rugged, immense ice cap, treeless. US military history remains visible.
  • Population: Only ~57,000, “so many people in colonial-type relations chafed under some of the limitations,” but Danish welfare support is significant. Full independence remains a long-term aspiration but is constrained by economic realities.
  • “Greenlanders very recently, when asked to choose ... made clear they really preferred Denmark.” (Ronald Dole, 06:27)
  • Ongoing “ever greater autonomy” for Greenland, but support from Denmark helps mitigate “the sting of still having something of a colonial relationship.”

3. The US Pursuit of Greenland—A Century-Long Story

• (06:43–09:58)
  • The roots trace back to 1867 (post-Alaska “Seward’s Folly”), when Greenland was viewed as a resource-rich northern outpost—“another possible territory... valuable for fishing.”
  • Military importance grew in WWII and the Cold War. One official called Greenland “the world’s largest stationary aircraft carrier.”
  • President Truman offered Denmark $100 million for Greenland in the 1940s. Denmark (and Greenland) declined.
  • Other countries (esp. China) have shown interest in Greenland’s minerals, but not to the level of the current US campaign. Foreign activity has waned as mining prospects declined.

4. Trump’s Renewed Bid: Not Just History Repeating

• (09:58–11:22)
  • The current push is unique in its recklessness and the coalition it’s uniting against the US.
  • In the past, the US and Denmark “found ways to work things out.” Now, trust is “really... hammered.”
  • “Some politicians ... say the threat to Greenland is not coming from Russia, not coming from China, but coming from the US.” (Ronald Dole, 11:08)

5. The Stakes for NATO and International Order

• (11:22–12:28)
  • Dr. Dole cautions that harming the alliance could overturn “nearly eight decades worth of ways of operating... what would emerge out of that is uncertain.”
  • Unrest in alliances could inflame old European conflicts.

Memorable Quotes

• “Some protesters in Nuke even wore red hats that read ‘Make America go away,’ which is a great sign for American diplomacy.” (Jane Coaston, 02:00)
• “Greenland should be for the Greenlanders, not for the Americans.” (Nuuk protester, 01:57)
• “If the Greenlandic folk could become fully independent in an ideal world, that might be a high desire. But... the economic situation [and] support from Denmark ...are positives that mitigate ... the sting...” (Ronald Dole, 05:46)
• “The threat to Greenland is not coming from Russia, not coming from China, but coming from the US.” (Ronald Dole, 11:08)

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment/Topic | |---------------|-----------------------------------------------------------| | 00:42–02:52 | Trump’s press conference, global and local fallout | | 03:32–06:43 | Greenlanders’ autonomy, relationship with Denmark | | 06:43–09:58 | Historical context: US attempts to acquire Greenland | | 09:58–11:22 | Difference in 2026: trust within alliances undermined | | 11:22–12:28 | Consequences for NATO, unpredictability of future |

Additional Notable Moments

• Satirical Take on “Mom & Pop” Landlords:
  Coaston jokes about “normal mom and pops with their 10 to 12 homes” (00:33), highlighting the irony around recent US economic policy debates, setting the episode's wry tone.

• Direct Voices from Greenland:
  Protesters express an unequivocal desire to remain outside American control and maintain democratic processes (01:46–01:57).

• Plainspoken Critique of US Policy:
  Jane Coaston’s signature blend of analysis and dry wit—“Stocks are plummeting and Trump’s obsession... is putting NATO at risk…” (02:14)

• Strong Public and International Opposition:
  Even right-wing European parties, often aligned with US conservatives, oppose American acquisition of Greenland.

Conclusion

This episode delivers a tight, in-depth look at why the “Greenland question” is not only about resource ambition or presidential eccentricity, but about local autonomy, post-colonial legacies, and the fragility of global alliances. Through Dr. Ronald Dole’s context and candid protester voices, listeners get a clear sense of why Greenland keeps saying no—and why that matters for everyone.

Host: Jane Coaston
Guest: Dr. Ronald Dole, Florida State University

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