Last week, the Chronicle asked its readers in an online poll the following question: “Do you support the Trump administration’s efforts to acquire Greenland?” Of the 432 people who responded, 89% said no, and 11% said yes. Comments were submitted by 131 people. A few follow.

“Acquiring” Greenland would be illegal and dangerous. It would destroy NATO.

Our foreign policy should not depend on the whims of one man.

It’s all just distraction from the Epstein files.

Taking it by force is bullying and a return to 19th-century imperialism (which he already started with Venezuela). Buying it when we already have a huge deficit and it’s protected by allies is stupid. Doing either without the consent of Congress is illegal. The toddler-in-chief needs to grow up and stop trying to govern by tantrums.

The United States has a rich history of land acquisitions, primarily through purchases, treaties and annexation — Louisiana, Florida and Alaska to name a few. Many past U.S. presidents have wanted to acquire Greenland. We need it more than ever now for the Golden Dome missile defense system to protect the western hemisphere.

We’ve become an international pariah. When is this madness going to end?
Greenland is at the critical location for effective defense from aggressive Russia.

These efforts create unnecessary instability within our necessary alliances. Concerns over national security may have some merit, but they’re outweighed by how destabilizing these actions are — risking global havoc and potentially provoking tensions that could lead to World War III with dangerous alignments between our allies and adversaries.

In a litany of embarrassing actions, this is the most embarrassing and extremely dangerous. It is unfortunate that Republican legislators do not recognize the potential damage that may, and is already, resulting.

While much of what he is doing is very positively active and productive, and in line with the previous pronouncements of the last several administration, I believe that we should just maintain our existing diplomacy and presence in this strategic region. No reason to ruffle
feathers.

Supporting Trump’s efforts to “acquire” Greenland would be comparable to supporting Putin’s attempts to acquire Ukraine.

I don’t support anything this administration represents or does.

I don’t think Trump really wants to acquire Greenland; he’s just trying to get the best deal possible.

An objective view of Trump sees that there is a “Good Trump,” a “Bad Trump,” and a “Crazy Trump.” This is “Crazy Trump.”

Let us hope that President Trump works out an agreement with Denmark and Greenland that NATO endorses. We should wait to see the outcome before rushing to judgment. PJC