President Donald Trump was probably hoping that American citizens would rally behind his push to take control of Greenland. But a CNN poll recently found that three-quarters of Americans oppose the idea of the United States acquiring the Arctic island.
The poll will provide a reality check to Trump, who insists that “anything less” than U.S. control is “unacceptable.” This CNN-cited poll was conducted by SSRS between January 9 and 12, 2026.
Its findings prove that 75% of Americans are now against Trump’s agenda of the U.S. controlling Greenland. Republicans and Republican-leaning independents, meanwhile, are evenly split, with 50% showing support and 50% opposing the plan.
On the other hand, 94% of Democrats and Democratic-aligned respondents oppose it, with 80% even saying they strongly oppose it. Roughly eight in ten independents without a partisan affiliation are opposed to the idea as well.
Trump had a White House meeting scheduled with Danish officials, Vice President JD Vance, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Yet before that, he wrote on Truth Social that NATO should help the U.S. acquire Greenland, because otherwise, Russia or China will.
Breaking News: Denmark and Greenland have a “fundamental disagreement” with the U.S., the Danish foreign minister said after a White House meeting with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. https://t.co/Esvzo9mnsf
— The New York Times (@nytimes) January 14, 2026
After this meeting, however, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said that a “fundamental disagreement” remains. Greenland’s Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt also said that they will cooperate but not surrender their sovereignty. Since then, Denmark has announced that it will increase its military presence in the Arctic, with help from other NATO allies.
Back home, though, as the poll suggests, nearly six in ten respondents say Donald Trump has gone too far in trying to expand America’s influence. A 55% majority is using the U.S. military to achieve its goals. And 57% now say the 79-year-old’s foreign policies have hurt America’s standing in the world, though the president claims that the world is no longer laughing at the U.S.
When it comes to U.S. military action in Venezuela, 52% Americans oppose it and 48% are in favor. Now what comes next?
Nearly two-thirds of Americans think the U.S. will end up with a long-term troop presence there, but nobody knows if that will lead to a stable Venezuelan government after a year.
🚨🇻🇪 BREAKING: Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said that the country will remain steadfast in defending national peace and stability in the face of what he described as aggressive actions. pic.twitter.com/ePAz85JEDw
— Jackson Hinkle 🇺🇸 (@jacksonhinklle) December 22, 2025
When asked about motivations, most Americans expressed that the U.S. mainly wanted to flex its military muscle and gain access to Venezuelan oil, thus the intervention.
At the same time, very few believe that improving the lives of Venezuelans was the point at all. Just 26% of those polled saw humanitarian benefit as a primary reason for Trump’s Venezuela raid.
So if the public is firmly opposed to taking over Greenland, and U.S. allies are resisting, how far can the White House push?
