Snopes Investigates 2020 Claim Trump Sought Puerto Rico-for-Greenland Swap
Updated
Updated · Snopes.com · Jun 18
Snopes Investigates 2020 Claim Trump Sought Puerto Rico-for-Greenland Swap
2 articles · Updated · Snopes.com · Jun 18
Summary
Snopes left unrated a revived claim that Donald Trump wanted to sell or swap Puerto Rico to acquire Greenland, saying it is still seeking confirmation.
A June 15, 2026 New Yorker article reignited the allegation by citing former DHS chief of staff Miles Taylor, whose 2020 TV interview said Trump asked whether Puerto Rico could be traded for Greenland.
The fact-checker said it has contacted Taylor and the White House and will update the report if either provides evidence or a response.
The claim also appeared in the 2022 book "The Divider" and spread again online in June 2026 through posts on X, Facebook and Polymarket.
Taylor has been a longtime Trump critic since his 2018 anonymous New York Times op-ed; Trump revoked his security clearance in April 2025, adding another layer of dispute around the allegation.