Exclusive: Interior Sec. Doug Burgum — Greenland and Venezuela Are Strategic Priorities for Defense and Energy
By Jasmyn Jordan
Breitbart
Jan 16, 2026
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum
In an appearance on Breitbart News Daily, Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum made the case for Greenland’s strategic value to American national security and Venezuela’s potential to re-anchor U.S. energy dominance in the Western Hemisphere, casting both regions as crucial to President Donald Trump’s foreign policy and economic agenda.
Burgum likened the acquisition of Greenland to historic U.S. territorial expansions. “President Trump understands that the same way that Thomas Jefferson understood the Louisiana Purchase was going to change the course of our country,” Burgum said, drawing another direct parallel to Seward’s purchase of Alaska, which he described as “a resource that is for us today.”
While Greenland remains a self-governing territory of Denmark, Burgum questioned the intensity of Danish attachment to the island, noting, “I’m guessing that the vast majority of people in Denmark have never been to Greenland and have no plans to go.” He suggested that Danish reluctance might be tied to “a holdover of colonial pride.”
Burgum highlighted Greenland’s military significance. “I grew up in North Dakota. We had missile silos practically everywhere because we were the front line in defense of a Russian attack. The shortest distance would have come over the poles. And in an era of the Golden Dome, having our ability to defend our country, early detection is key and Greenland will be just as important as Alaska.”
Burgum also clarified that the Department of the Interior, which he leads, would be the federal agency responsible for Greenland if it became a U.S. territory. “All the territories are part of Interior,” he explained, adding that Greenland is actually “closer to Washington, DC than Anchorage is.”
Pivoting to Venezuela, Burgum revealed that President Trump had created the National Energy Dominance Council, which he now chairs alongside Energy Secretary Chris Wright.”
He recounted how American officials were mobilized ‘the very next day’ after Operation Absolute Resolve, which he called a “breathtakingly perfect execution by our military under President Trump’s leadership.” The following step, he explained, was to begin re-engagement with Venezuela, which he characterized as a “failed country with leadership that was basically a criminal drug cartel.”
Burgum detailed a coordinated, three-step strategy led by President Trump to address Venezuela’s collapse and foreign interference.
“Step one, close the border. Step two, stop the drug flow. And then step three is get rid of this horrible drug house in our neighborhood,” he stated. The broader plan included a naval blockade to restrict Venezuela’s oil trade. “Venezuela had become a playground for every bad actor in the world,” he added, citing Iran, Russia, Hamas, Hezbollah, and China.
He contended that President Biden’s sanctions had failed due to lack of enforcement, allowing adversaries like China to reap energy discounts. “They were buying Venezuela oil at 20 bucks off the world price,” he said. “It just turned these countries into discount gas stations.”
By contrast, Burgum claimed Trump’s energy posture was reshaping the hemisphere. “Between U.S., Canada, and Venezuela, the center of the petroleum world has moved to the Western Hemisphere,” he declared. “Venezuela has got larger reserves than Saudi Arabia.”
Burgum outlined how America’s Gulf Coast refineries, built specifically for Venezuela’s heavy crude, had been underutilized under prior policy but are poised to restart. “Yes, they’re capable of quickly refining again,” he confirmed. “It’s the right match.”
He suggested a coming surge in U.S.-Venezuela trade, including refined light crude from the U.S., infrastructure support to rebuild Venezuela’s electrical grid and oil industry, and opportunities in sectors like coal and gold. “Our phone’s been ringing off the hook,” he remarked, noting companies displaced by Nicolás Maduro are eager to return.
Burgum expressed confidence in U.S. manpower and private-sector readiness, especially from Venezuelan-Americans in the industry. “They are eager to go back and build normal economic relations again,” he maintained.
He emphasized that the Trump administration has slashed permitting red tape and enabled energy producers to operate more efficiently. He noted that “75 percent of the permits” issued during his last year as governor were for advanced horizontal wells, extending “two miles down and three miles over,” which increased access to productive rock by 50 percent.
As companies refine these techniques, he observed, they’re “lowering their break-even point,” making drilling viable even at $50 per barrel. “The Trump administration is cutting red tape,” he added, while accusing the Biden administration of raising costs through “regulation after regulation.” Under Trump’s leadership, he reported, federal drilling permits increased “by 55 percent over the last year of the Biden administration — record number of permits.”
He credited American ingenuity for record-setting production, recalling a petroleum engineer who told him, “If your house was two miles down and two miles over, I could drill the lock out on the front door.”
Burgum asserted Trump’s approach had reshaped America’s global position through energy policy and strategic leverage. “President Trump had a vision of energy dominance. He said we’re going to have enough energy to sell to our friends and allies, so they don’t have to buy from our adversaries. We’re going to use energy diplomacy along with tariffs, to help end wars, as opposed to sending in troops,” he stated.
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