President-elect Donald Trump’s fascination with Greenland is all “about the Arctic,” said his incoming national security adviser.

“This is not just about Greenland,” Mike Waltz, the Republican Florida congressman, said Wednesday on Fox News. “This is about the Arctic. You have Russia that is trying to become king of the Arctic.”

He added, “This is about critical minerals. This is about natural resources. This is about, as the polar ice caps pull back, the Chinese are now cranking out icebreakers and pushing up there as well. So, it’s oil and gas. It’s our national security.”

Mr. Trump has continuously brought up the need for America to acquire Greenland for national security purposes. His son Donald Trump Jr. flew to the Danish territory this week for a private visit, heightening the seriousness of his father’s comments.

The president-elect said Wednesday at the Capitol that his son’s visit to Greenland was a “love fest.”

The day before, Mr. Trump said he wouldn’t rule out using military force to get Greenland. He said people question whether Denmark has “any legal right” to the island.

His comments have annoyed Danish and Greenlandic officials. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said Tuesday that Greenland “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.”

Mr. Trump has talked about obtaining Greenland since his first term. It would give the U.S., which already has a large military base in the territory, a strategic Arctic foothold and improved posture against Russia and China. 

• Mallory Wilson can be reached at mwilson@washingtontimes.com.