California Governor Gavin Newsom dismisses Trump's Greenland military threat as never serious
Newsom: "It was remarkably boring. It was remarkably insignificant. He was never going invade Greenland. It was never real." pic.twitter.com/TiNcTLWbvD
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 21, 2026
DAVOS, SWITZERLAND: California Governor Gavin Newsom said on Wednesday, January 21, that he never believed President Donald Trump was serious about using military force to acquire Greenland, responding after attending Trump’s speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
Speaking to CNN following the address, Newsom said Trump’s remarks did not signal a real intention to invade the Danish territory.
Trump, during his speech, said that he did not want to use force to take Greenland, while also outlining broader views on NATO, defense, and US leverage. The comments came as Greenland remained a point of tension between Washington and European allies.
Gavin Newsom reacts to Trump's Davos speech and Greenland remarks
Newsom, a Democrat, said Trump’s speech did not contain new information for an American audience and downplayed the significance of the president’s comments on Greenland.
“I don’t think the military force was ever real in the first place,” Newsom told CNN after being seen in the room during Trump’s address.
“He was never going to invade Greenland,” Newsom said, referring to Trump’s statement during the speech that he would not use military force to take over the territory.
Greenland is part of Denmark, a NATO ally, and has been at the center of renewed debate following Trump’s repeated assertions that US ownership is necessary for security reasons.
Newsom described the address as “remarkably boring” and said that it was “remarkably insignificant.”
“There wasn’t anything new about that speech for the American audience,” he added. He also said Trump made “some jaw-dropping and remarkable statements that fly in the face of facts and evidence,” though he did not elaborate further.
Newsom said the tone of Trump’s remarks reflected anxiety among business leaders attending the forum in Davos, Switzerland. “Honestly, I was a little disappointed,” he said.
Trump had previously suggested that the United States could seek control of Greenland for defense purposes, citing its strategic position in the Arctic. While the White House had not ruled out military options in past statements, Trump said during his Davos remarks that he did not intend to use force.
Trump reiterates Greenland stance in Davos
Trump also returned to the issue of Greenland, saying he did not want to use force but argued that US ownership was necessary for defense. “If I did, the US would be unstoppable,” he said, before adding, “But I won’t do that.”
He said the United States wanted ownership of Greenland "because you need the ownership to defend it, you can’t defend it on a lease."
"Who the hell wants to defend a license agreement or a lease?" he added.
Addressing NATO, Trump questioned whether the alliance would come to the United States’ defense if needed.
“We’ll be there for them 100%, but I’m not sure that they will be there for us,” he said. NATO’s Article 5, which states that an attack on one member is considered an attack on all, has only been invoked once, in defense of the US after the September 11, 2001, attacks.
Trump said Europe had a “choice” regarding Greenland. “You can say yes, and we will be very appreciative, or you can say no, and we will remember,” he said, linking the issue to broader questions of US security and military strength.
