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By Sam Stevenson
Associate News Editor
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A new poll shows Republicans are firmly behind President Donald Trump on most major policy issues, except his handling of Greenland, thus marking a rare break with his base as the midterms approach.
White House spokesperson Anna Kelly told Newsweek: “President Trump believes that Greenland is a strategically important location that is critical from the standpoint of national security, and he is confident Greenlanders would be better served if protected by the United States from modern threats in the Arctic region.”
Why It Matters
These findings mark an unusual break between Republican voters and a Republican president on a high-profile foreign policy initiative, signaling potential political and diplomatic headwinds for the administration’s push to acquire Greenland.
Read More on Politics
Foreign policy consensus is rare in polarized politics, but the survey results aligned with other recent polls showing broad public resistance to acquiring Greenland, especially by military force.
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What To Know
The Trump administration’s approach to Greenland is proving unpopular among U.S. adults, according to a new AP‑NORC poll.
The nationwide poll was conducted February 5‑8, 2026, using the AmeriSpeak Panel, the probability‑based panel of NORC at the University of Chicago.
Online and telephone interviews using landlines and cellphones were conducted with 1,156 adults. Its overall margin of sampling error was plus or minus 3.9 percentage points.
In the poll, just 24 percent of adults approved of how Trump was handling Greenland, while 72 percent disapproved—making it one of the weakest-tested areas of his presidency and more unpopular than his handling of foreign policy overall.
Just 51 percent of Republicans approved of Trump’s handling of Greenland, and 48 percent disapproved.
That represents a significant departure from other policy areas, where Republican disapproval of Trump’s handling typically sits around a quarter, whether on the economy, immigration, or foreign policy more broadly.
In the AP-NORC poll, Republicans backed Trump on the economy, with 79 percent approving and 21 percent disapproving. Meanwhile, on immigration, 78 percent supported him, and 22 percent disapproved.
And on Trump's handling of foreign policy more generally, 71 percent of Republicans approved and just 27 percent disapproved.
Midterm elections hinge on coalition management, and this issue exposes a rare fracture inside Trump’s own party.
The president has invested significant political capital in Greenland, making public opinion on the issue newly consequential.
Other polling in January similarly found limited backing for the push.
Most Americans—including many who voted for Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election—oppose taking control of Greenland by military force, according to an Economist/YouGov poll.
Overall, 72 percent of respondents said they were against using military force to seize Greenland, compared with just 9 percent who supported the idea. Among Trump voters, a majority—54 percent—said they opposed such action, while 22 percent said they would back it.
Views were somewhat less hostile when respondents were asked about purchasing Greenland from Denmark, though opposition still outweighed support.
Some 51 percent of Americans said they opposed a purchase, compared with 29 percent who supported it.
Among Trump voters, however, sentiment shifted, with 61 percent saying they favored acquiring Greenland through a purchase.
The poll surveyed 1,722 U.S. adults between January 16 and January 19 and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.2 percentage points.
What People Are Saying
White House spokesperson Anna Kelly told Newsweek: “President Trump believes that Greenland is a strategically important location that is critical from the standpoint of national security, and he is confident Greenlanders would be better served if protected by the United States from modern threats in the Arctic region. The President is committed to establishing long-term peace at home and abroad.”
Trump told reporters in the White House last month: "Greenland is very important for national security, including of Denmark. And the problem is, there's not a thing Denmark can do about it if Russia or China wants to occupy Greenland."
Independent voter Aaron Gunnoe, 29, told The Associated Press: "It’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard. It’s owned by somebody else. That should be the end of it."
Ayman Amir, a 46‑year‑old Trump supporter from Houston, Texas, said of Greenland: "We can't take it by force. We don't have a right to do that. You can't blame Russia for what they do in Ukraine and then do the same thing. You can't do this."
What Happens Next
The administration and congressional Republicans will likely weigh the political costs of continuing to press the Greenland initiative amid broad public disapproval and an unusual intraparty split.
Update 02/14/26, 03:31 a.m. ET. This article has been updated with a White House statement.
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