President Trump says Greenland is essential to Golden Dome and national security
The foreign ministers of Denmark and Greenland will meet with Vice President J.D. Vance at the White House.
- President Trump’s interest in Greenland is tied to the Golden Dome missile defense system project.
- The proposed system, inspired by Israel’s Iron Dome, would protect North America from foreign attack.
- The Golden Dome project is expected to cost hundreds of billions of dollars and has drawn criticism.
President Donald Trump has said there is now a “framework for a future agreement” regarding Greenland, but his desire to claim the Arctic island stems in part from his ambitious plans for a “Golden Dome” missile defense system.
President Trump has repeatedly said that the United States needs Greenland “from a national security standpoint.”
This occupation of the Danish-ruled autonomous territory, as the president has frequently mentioned, includes assembling sensors and interceptors to protect North America (including Trump’s new enemy Canada) and other U.S. territories from possible attacks from foreign countries, including China and Russia.
Inspired by Israel’s Iron Dome, the Trump administration envisions the US Golden Dome project as a futuristic system of space and ground technology spread across Greenland.
Here’s what you need to know about President Trump’s proposed Golden Dome.
President Trump focuses on Greenland’s ‘golden dome’
President Trump initially mentioned such dome plans during his first term in 2019 and at the beginning of his second term last year, but they were largely rejected.
But things changed after U.S. forces attacked the Venezuelan capital on January 3 and ousted the country’s leader, Nicolas Maduro. Now, President Trump has renewed his vision for the Dome and Greenland, which European leaders say could undermine the long-standing NATO alliance.
Initially dubbed the “Iron Dome for America” by the White House, the proposed U.S. system would mirror Israel’s well-known multi-layered defense system. Israel’s defense system, developed in partnership with the United States, consists of short-range rocket, artillery and mortar interception systems.
Collectively, they form an air defense network, or “dome,” around about 8,500 square miles of the Middle Eastern country, roughly the size of New Jersey.
President Trump issued an executive order to develop the Golden Dome system one week after taking office, and on May 20, 2025, announced the design of a $175 billion missile defense shield, $25 billion in initial investment, and the selection of Space Force leaders for ground and space projects.
But independent projections from the Congressional Budget Office say in a May 2025 report that the project could ultimately cost more than $800 billion over the next 20 years.
President Trump said the system “should be fully operational by the end of my term in 2029.”
How does “Golden Dome” work?
According to Senate testimony from Air Force Gen. Gregory Guillot, commander of Northern Command, the Golden Dome project aims to cover the country with three layers of air defense. There are sensors that warn of incoming threats, ground-based interceptor missiles that target incoming ballistic missiles, and additional systems that deal with low-altitude threats such as hypersonic missiles and enemy drones.
Golden Dome also aims to use a network of hundreds of satellites orbiting the Earth to defeat enemy missiles from countries such as China, Russia, Iran and North Korea.
The proposal has drawn criticism from experts over its feasibility and cost, while rivals Russia and China have condemned the project. North Korea has also expressed opposition to the proposed missile shield.
Contributed by Joey Garrison and Davis Winkie, USA TODAY. Reuters.
Terry Collins is a national correspondent for USA TODAY. He can be reached at tcollins@usatoday.com or X @terryscollins.
Kathryn Palmer is USA TODAY’s political reporter. She can be reached at the following address: kapalmer@usatoday.com And to X@Kathryn Purml. Sign up for her daily politics newsletter here.
