Vance on Greenland: “A Real Opportunity for Us to Take Leadership”; Says Biden Left a “Dumpster Fire”

In a series of interviews aired on January 12, 2025, Vice President-elect JD Vance made the case that Greenland represented a genuine strategic opportunity for the United States, argued that President Biden was leaving behind an economic “dumpster fire,” and expressed optimism about the incoming Trump administration’s readiness. Trump Senior Advisor Jason Miller and Senator Roger Marshall also appeared, highlighting the transition team’s pace and confidence in securing Senate confirmations for all of Trump’s cabinet nominees.

Vance: Greenland Is a Strategic Opportunity

Vance addressed President-elect Trump’s interest in Greenland by framing it as a legitimate national security and economic matter rather than a provocative gesture.

“I think there actually is a real opportunity here for us to take leadership, to protect America’s security, to ensure that those incredible natural resources are developed,” Vance said. “And that’s what Donald Trump is good at. He’s good at making deals, and I think there’s a deal to be made in Greenland.”

Vance pointed to the Danish government’s failure to adequately secure the territory as part of the rationale. The description of the video noted Vance’s broader framing: “Greenland is very important for America, strategically. It has a lot of great natural resources. The Danish government has not done a good enough job of securing Greenland.”

The comments came as Trump had been publicly floating the idea of acquiring Greenland, which houses critical mineral deposits and sits at a geographically strategic position in the Arctic. The territory’s proximity to North America and its significance for Arctic shipping routes and military positioning had drawn increasing attention from U.S. policymakers.

”Biden Has Left Us a Dumpster Fire”

Vance then turned to the economy, delivering a blunt assessment of the outgoing Biden administration’s legacy.

“I wish Joe Biden all the best, but the fact is he has left us a dumpster fire, not just at the border, but also with the economy,” Vance said. “First of all, we know that prices are way too high for many Americans. We have to work every single day to stabilize prices for American families.”

Vance pushed back against the Biden administration’s claims of economic success by pointing to the national debt and bond market conditions.

“Everything that he’s bragging about ignores the fact that he has added trillions and trillions of dollars to the federal debt,” Vance said. “During a time of peace, he has left us with bond yields — meaning how are we going to finance that debt? We have to sell treasury bonds. And the treasury bonds have gotten more expensive because of Joe Biden’s policies.”

He also cited rising oil prices as evidence of Biden’s economic mismanagement: “Oil prices are now shooting through the roof in the final two months of Joe Biden’s administration, in part because of decisions that Joe Biden has made over the last few weeks. He actually hasn’t left the American people in good economic condition.”

Vance concluded with a note of optimism tempered by realism: “That’s why they made Donald J. Trump the president-elect of the United States. So we’ve got a lot of work to do. I remain fundamentally an optimist about our country. But I think that that optimism has to start with a bit of realism. And the real truth is that Joe Biden has left us a dumpster fire. Donald Trump is going to have to put it out, but he’s good at doing that.”

Jason Miller: Trump “So Far Ahead” of 2017

Trump Senior Advisor Jason Miller highlighted the incoming administration’s transition progress, drawing a favorable comparison to Trump’s first term.

“President Trump is so far ahead of where he was eight years ago,” Miller said, referring to the pace of staffing and appointments.

Miller noted that 13 confirmation hearings were scheduled for the following week, a pace that exceeded the 2017 transition. “By the end of the month in 2017, President Trump only had about three cabinet members that were fully confirmed and passed out of the Senate. We’re going to have three times as many completely passed out of the Senate this time in 2025.”

He also pointed to the broader personnel effort: “President Trump and the transition team running about 40 to 50 times ahead of schedule with personnel in place by inauguration day, as opposed to 2017. This team led by Suzy Wiles from a top-down structure is really focused not just on getting people in place, but getting the right people in place. That’s what’s going to make the difference.”

Senator Marshall: “I Think the Votes Are There”

When asked whether the Senate had the votes to confirm all of Trump’s nominees, Senator Roger Marshall expressed confidence while acknowledging the process would not be without challenges.

“I hate to count my chickens before they hatch, but yes, I do,” Marshall said. “I think that they need to go through the hearing process. They’re going to get beat up by the legacy media and the left as well. But I think the votes are there.”

Marshall praised the quality of the nominees after interviewing them personally: “As I’ve interviewed these people one on one, they’ve been great communicators. They’re great leaders. They’re very accomplished. Yes, some of them are outside the box, but I do think we have the votes.”

Key Takeaways

• VP-elect JD Vance called Greenland “a real opportunity” for U.S. leadership, citing its strategic importance and natural resources, and said Trump is “good at making deals.”
• Vance said Biden left a “dumpster fire” economically, pointing to high prices, trillions in added federal debt, rising bond yields, and surging oil prices.
• Trump Senior Advisor Jason Miller said the transition was “so far ahead” of 2017, with 13 confirmation hearings scheduled and personnel placement running “40 to 50 times ahead of schedule.”
• Senator Roger Marshall said he believed the Senate had the votes to confirm all of Trump’s nominees, praising them as “great communicators” and “great leaders.”