President Donald Trump, continuing his pursuit of Greenland, has named Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry as a special envoy to the territory.
Trump announced the appointment in a Truth Social post on Sunday, describing Greenland as strategically important to U.S. national security. Landry, in a post on X, thanked Trump for the assignment and said it would not interfere with his duties as governor.
“It’s an honor to serve you in this volunteer position to make Greenland a part of the U.S.,” Landry wrote.
The new envoy role lands amid renewed friction between Washington and Copenhagen over Trump’s repeated public interest in acquiring Greenland, a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark.
Danish and Greenlandic officials have previously rejected any suggestion that the territory is for sale, and reiterated that Greenland’s future is for Greenlanders to decide.
Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said on Facebook that Trump’s announcement of the envoy appointment “may sound big,” but “it does not change anything for us.”
Nielsen said Greenland’s future is “decided by ourselves,” calling Greenland “our country” and insisting that “Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders” and that its “territorial integrity must be respected.” He said Greenland is willing to cooperate with countries, including the U.S., but only “with respect for us and our values and wishes,” adding that there is “no need for insecurity” because Greenlanders “stand together and we stand firm.”
Trump told Congress earlier this year the U.S. needs Greenland “for national security and even international security, and we’re working with everybody involved to try and get it. But we need it, really, for international world security.”
The U.S. military operates Pituffik Space Base, formerly Thule Air Base, in northwest Greenland, a key site for missile warning, missile defense and space surveillance. The base’s radar capabilities feed U.S. and NATO early-warning architecture.
The island is also seen as a potential source of critical minerals and hydrocarbons as Arctic access expands. The U.S. Geological Survey has estimated large “undiscovered” oil-and-gas potential in Greenland-related Arctic provinces, including tens of billions of barrels of oil equivalent in East Greenland rift basins.
On the minerals front, a Greenland-to-Louisiana supply chain is already taking shape.
In August, Reuters reported that Critical Metals Corp., which is developing Greenland’s Tanbreez rare earth project, signed a 10-year deal to send up to 10,000 metric tons a year of rare-earth material to Ucore Rare Metals’ processing facility in Alexandria, Louisiana, a project backed by the U.S. Defense Department.
As The Center Square previously reported, Louisiana is positioning itself as a major processing hub for rare earths and battery materials, with one critical-minerals plant operating and seven more under construction statewide, as the U.S. tries to reduce reliance on China.
Landry, a Republican, served in Congress and as attorney general before he was elected governor in 2023.
A spokesperson told USA Today Network the envoy role is unpaid and does not conflict with state law. Details about how much time or travel the position will require have not been released.
Republican Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser said Landry did not inform him about the appointment beforehand. “It’s up to him and the people of Louisiana to decide if he can effectively serve both positions,” Nungesser said.
Republican House Speaker Phillip DeVillier voiced support, telling The Shreveport Times that Landry “is passionate about our state” and can balance both roles effectively.
