President Donald Trump said Sunday night he is appointing Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry as special envoy to Greenland.
Trump wrote on social media that the Louisiana Republican “understands how essential Greenland is to our National Security, and will strongly advance our Country’s Interests for the Safety, Security, and Survival of our Allies, and indeed, the World.”
It is unclear whether Landry, who became governor in 2024, would have to step down for the special envoy position. CNN has reached out to the White House and Landry’s office for additional details on the appointment.
The president first expressed interest in buying Greenland from the Danish government during his first term. The island, which sits between Europe and the United States, has long been seen as key for US security, especially to repel a potential attack from Russia, and is rich in rare earth minerals.
In his second term, Trump has floated annexing Greenland, saying in May, “I don’t rule it out.”
“We need Greenland very badly,” Trump said at the time. “Greenland is a very small amount of people, which we’ll take care of, and we’ll cherish them, and all of that. But we need that for international security.”
Trump’s remarks, along with Vice President JD Vance’s trip to the island in March, rankled Greenland and Denmark in equal measure.
Denmark ruled Greenland as a colony until 1953, when the island achieved greater powers of self-governance. In 2009, it gained more powers pertaining to minerals, policing and courts of law, but Denmark still controls security, defense, foreign and monetary policy. Greenland also benefits from Denmark’s European Union and NATO memberships.