Larry Kudlow Says Trump Admin Still 'Looking At' Buying Greenland

Two days after Greenland made clear to President Donald Trump that it is not for sale, National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow confirmed that the administration is still “looking at” buying it.

“It’s developing. We’re looking at it. We don’t know,” Kudlow said on “Fox News Sunday,” defending the move by noting that former President Harry Truman once sought to acquire the autonomous Danish territory, too.

“Denmark is an ally,” Kudlow added. “Greenland is a strategic place up there, and they’ve got a lot of valuable minerals. I don’t want to predict an outcome. I’m just saying that the president who knows a thing or two about buying real estate wants to take a look at a Greenland purchase.”

Trump has, “with varying degrees of seriousness,” expressed interest in obtaining the ice-blanketed island, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday. He has asked the White House counsel to explore the matter.

On Friday, Greenland’s foreign minister, Ane Lone Bagger, made clear to Trump that the answer is no , telling Reuters , “We are open for business, but we’re NOT for sale.”

Since the 1950s, the U.S. has operated Thule Air Base in Greenland. The base, which is north of the Arctic Circle, sits halfway between New York and Moscow, making it strategically important in terms of defense. The base is currently responsible for alerting North America to approaching intercontinental ballistic missiles.

Trump is set to travel to Denmark in September as part of a previously scheduled visit to Europe.