Donald Trump tells Greenland needs his ‘Great Hospital Boat,’ proves U.S. has never had a ‘more functionally illiterate government’

Greenland’s officials have just delivered a polite but firm “no thank you” to President Trump’s recent offer of a “great hospital boat” for the Arctic territory. This comes after Trump announced he would deploy a U.S. Navy hospital ship to Greenland, claiming it would “take care of the many people who are sick, and not being taken care of there.”

According to the New York Times, Trump posted an image of the USNS Mercy, a massive 1,000-bed U.S. military hospital ship, to his Truth Social over the weekend, stating the vessel was “on the way.” However, ship tracking data from early Sunday showed the Mercy still docked in Mobile, Alabama. The U.S. military typically uses these hospital ships for urgent surgeries, disaster relief, or humanitarian missions globally.

The Danish defense ministry quickly stated it hadn’t been informed about any hospital ship heading to Greenland. Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen told Danish media that American assistance wasn’t needed on the island, and there was “no need for special health care efforts” in Greenland. It’s puzzling why Trump felt this was necessary, since Greenlanders already enjoy free and equal access to healthcare, including prescription medications, just like in Denmark.

It doesn’t seem like there is a lack of care

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen also chimed in on Instagram, expressing her happiness to “live in a country where there is free and equal access to healthcare for everyone.” She added that “the same approach is followed in Greenland,” clearly hinting at Trump’s announcement without directly naming him or the U.S. 

Greenland’s Prime Minister, Jens‑Frederik Nielsen, was even more direct, stating simply, “It’s going to be a no thank you from here” on Facebook. He stressed that while Greenland is “always open to dialogue and collaboration,” including with the U.S., they prefer discussions over “more or less random outbursts on social media.” 

The Trump administration has openly expressed its desire to control Greenland, which is a semi-autonomous part of Denmark. The island is incredibly rich in minerals and holds significant strategic importance for intercepting long-range missiles aimed at the U.S. and Canada. Both Greenlanders and Danish officials have consistently rejected U.S. advances. For weeks, these discussions even included threats of military action to seize the territory.

Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry, who Trump appointed as his envoy to Greenland, didn’t offer any further clarification on this unexpected hospital ship announcement. Interestingly, just earlier this week, Denmark’s King Frederik visited the vast Arctic island, a move widely seen as a show of unity between Denmark and Greenland. 

Additionally, a U.S. submarine crew member recently needed to be evacuated to a hospital in Nuuk, Greenland’s capital, for urgent medical treatment, showing that medical facilities are indeed available on the island.