The political and diplomatic world was set abuzz in early January 2025 when former US President Donald Trump declared to The Atlantic, "We do need Greenland, absolutely," citing defence needs. This startling statement, followed by aggressive rhetoric from his adviser Stephen Miller questioning Denmark's sovereignty, has raised profound questions about the expansionist logic now guiding Trump's inner circle and where its gaze might fall next.
The Hemispheric Doctrine: A New Justification for Dominion
Trump and his advisors have repeatedly invoked a reinterpreted Monroe Doctrine, which they term the "Trump corollary." While the original 19th-century principle aimed to curb European colonialism in the Americas, the 2020s version is fixated on US dominance over the entire Western Hemisphere. This is the basis for Miller's dismissal of Denmark's long-standing ties to Greenland: because Denmark lies in Europe, not the Western Hemisphere, its claim is deemed invalid by this new meridian-based logic.
The US National Security Strategy, published in November 2024, obsessively uses the term "hemisphere," introducing the concept of "non-hemispheric competitors." Critics argue this is less a foundational geopolitical idea and more a retro-imperialist construct designed to justify control. The stated goal is ensuring the hemisphere remains "stable and well-governed" to serve US interests and prevent mass migration. However, Trump's definitions of stability and his necropolitical approaches to migration offer little comfort, framing the agenda as one of pure dominion.
From Greenland to Scotland: A Chilling Precedent
Applying Trump's hemispheric logic to a map produces alarming results for US allies. While parts of eastern England might fall within the accepted zone, Scotland, firmly in Europe, would not. This brings a second, equally concerning strand of the administration's ideology into focus: a desire to restore what they call "Europe's civilizational self-confidence and Western identity."
As highlighted by JD Vance's confrontational speech at the Munich Security Conference and leaked documents from Marco Rubio, this rhetoric often parrots white supremacist talking points, framing migration as a threat to social cohesion. It builds a case for intervening in progressive nations "for their own good," treating sovereign states like children needing correction.
Trump's Scottish Petri Dish: A Business Blueprint for Power?
The situation becomes particularly acute for Scotland when considering Trump's personal and financial history there. After the Greenland furor, Marco Rubio suggested it was merely a hardball tactic to pressure Denmark into a sale. This "realtor's logic" should deeply concern the UK.
Trump has already spent two decades acquiring and developing a chunk of Scotland through his golf course in Aberdeenshire, opened in July 2025. This venture has served as a petri dish for his modus operandi: making grand investment promises often left unfulfilled, alienating local communities, bullying opponents, wreaking environmental havoc, and blocking renewable energy projects to create enclaves for the super-rich.
The organising principles are clear: domination and expansion. Any European leader comforted by the idea of Trump purchasing Greenland must ask themselves how they would feel if he applied the same acquisitive mindset to Scotland. His established footprint in Aberdeenshire, coupled with his ancestral links, provides a troubling foundation for any future territorial ambition disguised as business. The constant, outrageous bark of this administration has too often preceded an even worse bite, making the question not entirely fantastical but a serious matter of geopolitical risk assessment.
