Trump official says control of Greenland could bring back Red Lobster's all-you-can-eat shrimp

WASHINGTON, DC: A Trump administration official suggested that closer US ties with Greenland could bring an unlikely upside for seafood lovers: the return of Red Lobster’s popular all-you-can-eat shrimp promotion.

Thomas Dans, chairman of the US Arctic Research Commission, made the comments while discussing Greenland’s seafood industry. Dans, a strong advocate for increasing American influence in Greenland within the administration, believed the Arctic island’s shrimp production could become a vital component in supplying the US market.

'You could bring back all-you-can-eat shrimp'

Thomas Dans, the chairman of the US Arctic Research Commission and a Texas financier, made the unusual suggestion in a New Yorker magazine profile that portrayed him as one of the driving forces behind President Trump’s push to expand US influence in Greenland.

“My view is that the United States could take all the seafood Greenland could produce, and cut out the middleman, and keep it from China — and you could bring back all-you-can-eat shrimp at Red Lobster,” Dans told the New Yorker.

The magazine reported that Dans, accused by Danish authorities of helping run “influence operations” aimed at increasing American sway over the Arctic island, served on a previously undisclosed National Security Council task force focused on Greenland during Trump’s first term.

His comments came as part of a broader discussion about Greenland's strategic importance and its abundant natural resources, including seafood, minerals and its location in the Arctic.

President Trump has repeatedly argued that Greenland is vital to US national security and has continued to express interest in increasing American influence over the territory during his second term.

Denmark and Greenland's leaders, however, have consistently opposed any suggestion that the island could become part of the United States.

Red Lobster's shrimp promotion became too costly

Dans' comments also revived discussion about Red Lobster's famous Endless Shrimp promotion, which became a financial headache for the seafood chain.

A longtime Trump ally, Dans also served at the Treasury Department during the president’s first term, where he was counselor to the under secretary for international affairs and helped oversee portions of the federal government’s pandemic-era relief efforts.

In recent years, however, he has become best known for his advocacy on Greenland and Arctic issues through American Daybreak, an organization that promotes closer ties between the US and Greenland.

While Trump has framed Greenland as a national-security imperative, critics have warned that any attempt to acquire the territory would strain relations with Denmark, a longtime NATO ally.

The chain’s signature “Endless Shrimp” promotion has long been one of its biggest draws, allowing diners to order unlimited servings of shrimp for a fixed price.

But the deal became infamous when Red Lobster’s previous management team made it a permanent menu item in 2023, a move that drew customers but hammered profits as seafood and labor costs mounted. 

Former owner Thai Union later disclosed that the promotion led to an operating loss of about $11 million in one quarter alone, helping to turn “Endless Shrimp” into a symbol of the restaurant chain’s financial struggles.

Red Lobster, which emerged from bankruptcy under new ownership, first distanced itself from the promotion before bringing back “Endless Shrimp” as a limited-time offering and not a permanent menu item.

Still, the remark quickly drew attention online because it linked one of Trump's long-standing foreign policy interests with one of America's best-known restaurant promotions.