Voters sent a clear message: fix affordability, not buy foreign land. Will the Trump administration listen?
The big picture
President-elect Donald Trump has reignited his fascination with acquiring Greenland, a Danish-controlled territory, citing its economic and strategic value. At a recent Mar-a-Lago news conference, he even suggested that he couldn’t rule out military or economic force to facilitate the purchase.
This comes alongside Trump’s remarks about Canada becoming the 51st state and his suggestion that the Gulf of Mexico be renamed the “Gulf of America.” While these statements grab media headlines, they fail to address the economic concerns that propelled him back to the White House.
Voters, particularly independent voters, made their priorities clear in 2024. They rejected progressive social policies and voted based on affordability and inflation. If the new administration pivots away from these core concerns in favor of attention-grabbing stunts, Trump risks losing the very coalition that handed him victory.
Zooming in
Greenland’s rare earth minerals and global competition
Greenland is rich in critical minerals like copper, lithium, cobalt, and nickel, which are essential for clean energy technology and modern manufacturing. Due to Greenland’s ice sheets retreating, more of these resources are becoming accessible. This has led Denmark to publish a 2023 report highlighting Greenland’s raw material potential.
While securing resources is a valid policy goal, the optics of attempting to purchase a sovereign territory—especially with veiled threats of military or economic pressure—distract from more pressing economic concerns at home.
Independents voted on affordability, not foreign land grabs
Trump’s 2024 victory was driven by independent voters who were frustrated with the Biden administration’s handling of inflation. The Independent Center’s nationwide poll found:
- 67% of respondents identified affordability and inflation as their primary concern.
- 66% of respondents believe their voices are not being heard by elected officials.
Trump won independent voters in multiple key swing states, proving that their priorities were central to his victory. These voters care about the cost of buying a house, the price of gas, and the size of their grocery bills—not territorial expansion.
The risk of political capital mismanagement
A second Trump presidency presents an opportunity to revitalize the economy and restore American economic dynamism. But wasting political capital on Greenland and performative nationalism—such as renaming the Gulf of Mexico—undermines that goal.
Independents have flipped their votes before and will do so again if their concerns are ignored. They voted for Trump in 2016, Biden in 2020, and Trump again in 2024. If this administration fails to deliver on economic issues, independent voters could easily swing back in 2026 and 2028.
Independent lens
Trump’s 2024 victory was built on economic dissatisfaction, not territorial expansion fantasies. Independent voters demand concrete plans to tackle inflation, housing affordability, and wage growth.
If the new administration gets distracted by symbolic gestures like buying Greenland, it risks alienating the very voters who put it in power. Independents are pragmatic swing voters, not ideological partisans. They expect real leadership on affordability, not headline-chasing theatrics.
Mr. President, independents need to see a strategy for the economy, not “concepts of a plan.”
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