U.S. envoy to the EU Andrew Puzder this week insisted that the U.S. had not sought to invade Greenland, but that Trump's interest in acquiring the island had been misunderstood by the public.

Trump, in both of his terms, made public remarks about acquiring the island from Denmark, citing its natural resources and potential security benefits. Both instances saw Greenlanders and the Danish government balk at the prospect of a U.S. acquisition, though the more recent instance prompted fears of conflict.

“It got interpreted that we were somehow threatening Greenland’s territorial integrity,” Puzder said at the Brussels Economic Security Forum, according to Politico. "[T]he president never said we were going to invade."

While Trump declined to rule out the use of military force during that media cycle, he never made any moves to reposition troops in a manner that could signal military intent. Greenland is a part of the Kingdom of Denmark, which is a member of NATO and a formal U.S. ally.

Trump nominated Puzder to serve as labor secretary in his first term, though he backed out in the face of insufficient Senate support for confirmation. The president later tapped him to serve in his current role in the second administration.

Ben Whedon is the Chief Political Correspondent for Just the News. Follow him on X.