A new AP-NORC poll shows that President Donald Trump’s effort to gain control of Greenland has become one of his least popular issues. This includes even Republican voters who generally support him on most major policy areas.
The nationwide survey, conducted from February 5 to 8 among 1,156 adults, found that 24% approve of how Trump is handling Greenland, while 72% disapprove. The poll used the AmeriSpeak Panel from NORC at the University of Chicago and included both online and telephone interviews. It has an overall margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.9 percentage points.
Among Republicans, opinions were nearly split, and the poll revealed that 51% of Republicans approved of Trump’s approach to Greenland, while 48% disapproved. This is notable because Republican approval of Trump usually runs much higher on other topics measured in the same survey. The Associated Press reported that about 8 in 10 Republicans approved of Trump’s handling of the economy and immigration, while about 7 in 10 approved of his overall foreign policy.
The AP mentioned that the poll was conducted after Trump canceled proposed tariffs designed to pressure European countries into backing U.S. control of Greenland. This occurred after weeks of Trump’s public push for greater U.S. control of the territory, which belongs to NATO ally Denmark.
Trump has claimed the U.S. needs Greenland to counter Russia and China in the Arctic, even though the U.S. already has a military presence on the island. The AP reported that Trump backed off his threats to take the territory by force in late January after stating that a framework for a deal regarding access to Greenland was reached with assistance from NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.
Trump: “Greenland is gonna want us … We are negotiating right now for Greenland.” pic.twitter.com/UBZTMqnL2V
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) February 13, 2026
The Greenland issue also revealed a significant age divide within the Republican Party, according to the AP report. About 6 in 10 Republicans under 45 disapproved of Trump’s leadership on Greenland, compared to about 4 in 10 older Republicans.
In interviews cited by the AP, some Trump supporters acknowledged the strategic value of Greenland but opposed the idea of claiming it. Ayman Amir, a 46-year-old Trump supporter from Houston, told the AP he recognized the military importance of Greenland but did not support taking it. “We can’t take it by force. We don’t have a right to do that,” Amir said. “You can’t blame Russia for what they do in Ukraine and then do the same thing.”
Other voters labeled the push as unreasonable. Independent voter Aaron Gunnoe, 29, an engineer from Marion, Ohio, told the AP, “It’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.”
While Greenland received a lot of disapproval, the poll indicated that Trump’s overall foreign policy standing has remained relatively stable. The AP reported that about 4 in 10 adults approved of Trump’s overall handling of foreign policy, a figure that has not changed in recent months.
The AP-NORC topline release indicated that opposition to Greenland was stronger than to Trump’s foreign policy in general, marking it as a clear vulnerability in public opinion even as other parts of Trump’s agenda remain more polarized along party lines.
