Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday would not rule out the possibility of a future military invasion of Greenland and Panama, suggesting to lawmakers the Pentagon may have plans for such a future strike.
Appearing before the House Armed Services Committee, Hegseth asserted the department “plans for any particular contingency” and said, “I think the American people would want the Pentagon to have plans for anything.”
Pressed by Republican lawmakers to dismiss the possibility of such a U.S. military attack on Greenland or Panama, Hegseth reiterated that the “Pentagon has plans for any number of contingencies” and that officials “look forward to working with Greenland to ensure that it is secured from any potential threats.”
Democrats on the panel scoffed at those answers.
“I don’t think the American people voted for President Trump because they were hoping we would invade Greenland,” said committee ranking member, Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash. “The message this sends to the rest of the world is one that the U.S. is purely in it for itself, and does not care about alliances.”
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The issue of possible U.S. military intervention to take over Greenland, Panama, Canada and other allied territories has been a point of concern for months among critics of President Donald Trump.
On social media and in White House comments, Trump has stated multiple times that Denmark should surrender control of Greenland for the good of global security, and that Canada should become the 51st state in the American union.
Administration officials have downplayed those comments.
Hegseth, in his first appearance before the committee, avoided directly responding to the claims, but said the United States government has significant interest in protecting the areas from Chinese influence or manipulation.
Earlier this week, Denmark’s Parliament approved legislation to allow new U.S. military bases on Danish soil, broadening an existing previous military agreement between the countries.
But Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen in recent months has vowed to oppose any U.S. efforts to take over the Danish territory.
The Pentagon, meanwhile, is likely to shift Greenland from U.S. European Command to U.S. Northern Command, the military body responsible for defense of the American homeland, Mexico and Canada.
The change itself only involves redrawing the maps of U.S. combatant commands and handing over responsibility for the military forces in Greenland, but it has caused angst among some in Denmark who think the administration is trying to draw the territory closer to America.
Leo covers Congress, Veterans Affairs and the White House for Military Times. He has covered Washington, D.C. since 2004, focusing on military personnel and veterans policies. His work has earned numerous honors, including a 2009 Polk award, a 2010 National Headliner Award, the IAVA Leadership in Journalism award and the VFW News Media award.
Noah Robertson is the Pentagon reporter at Defense News. He previously covered national security for the Christian Science Monitor. He holds a bachelor’s degree in English and government from the College of William & Mary in his hometown of Williamsburg, Virginia.
