WATCH: U.S. senator thinks ‘average middle American’ is too dumb to find Greenland on a map

Democrat Delaware Sen. Chris Coons told CNN Monday that the “average middle American” is too dumb to identify Greenland on a world map.

Coons criticized President Donald Trump’s plan to purchase Greenland from Denmark and make it U.S. territory for resource and national security purposes, arguing that the plan will not resonate with the average American because they do not even know where the island is. Trump said no options for acquiring Greenland are off the table, emphasizing that a takeover of the island is a necessity to protect the U.S. against the threat of Russia and China’s increasing influence in the arctic.

“[Trump’s] threatening a NATO ally with military action. It’s insane, it’s unmoored. And we could spend all of our time huffing and puffing about how ridiculous it is, but look, your average Trump voter is laughing at us and saying ‘he’s owning the libs,’ and your average middle American says ‘why are you wasting your time worrying about Greenland, I can’t even find it on a map,’” Coons said.

WATCH:

Greenland, which is semi-autonomous from Denmark, has not responded well to Trump’s ambition to annex the land. Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen saying in a Sunday statement that the U.S. will not take control of the island, while Danish leaders and residents of Greenland have also expressed anger over the president’s suggestion.

Trump told NBC’s Kristen Welker during a Saturday interview that there is a “good possibility” that the U.S. could acquire Greenland without military force, though he has not completely ruled it out.

The president stated on Truth Social in December that acquiring Greenland is an “absolute necessity” for the purposes of national security and freedom around the world. The U.S. currently operates Pittufik U.S. Space Base on the island, which contains a radar station that is part of the U.S.’ early warning system for ballistic missiles, according to the Department of Defense.

Vice President J.D. Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance visited Greenland on Friday, where the vice president accused Denmark of not keeping the island safe from the threat of Russia and China and said the U.S. would do a more effective job in carrying out that mission. The Danish foreign minister, who expressed displeasure at Vance’s visit, said Denmark and Greenland are “very much open to discussing” a heightened U.S. military presence on the island.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has threatened to increase his nation’s influence in the arctic, said Friday he is taking Trump’s plan to acquire Greenland “seriously.”

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