Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) urged President-elect Trump to admit Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico as states before eyeing Greenland’s addition to the U.S.
“If it’s the choice of the people of Greenland to join the greatest country on earth, I would welcome them as our 53rd state, right after we admit Puerto Rico and Washington DC as states,” Polis wrote in a Tuesday post on the social platform X.
The incoming president has ramped up rhetoric about acquiring the autonomous Danish territory in recent weeks, forcing Denmark's leaders to clarify it's not for sale.
Greenland's leader last week called for independence. However, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said Tuesday during a televised interview that Greenlandic Prime Minister Múte Egede “has been very, very clear — that there is a lot of support among the people of Greenland that Greenland is not for sale and will not be in the future either."
Donald Trump Jr. traveled to Greenland on Tuesday for what he called a day trip, stoking speculation about his father's future plans.
President-elect Trump has also suggested that Canada should merge with the U.S. to become its 51st state, arguing during a Tuesday press conference that it makes economic sense.
Polis warned against passing over U.S. territories that have long sought statehood.
Puerto Rico has been a U.S. territory since 1898, with limited representation in Congress and often insufficient federal resources. The island has recently struggled with power outages and devastating hurricanes that have ravaged the land mass.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) has been pushing for D.C. to become the 51st state since her first term in 2015, joining a statehood movement that stretches back decades.
Bowser met with Trump in late December for what she called a "great" meeting.
“President Trump and I both want Washington, DC to be the best, most beautiful city in the world and we want the capital city to reflect the strength of our nation,” she wrote on X.
Trump said during his last term that Republicans will never allow D.C. to become a state.
