'I did not realize': Vance admits he only recently figured out why Trump wants Greenland

Vance told U.S. service members at the Pituffik Space Base in Greenland Friday that "didn't realize" until recently what they do while there. Vance was on a "national security" visit to the autonomous territory which is part of the Kingdom of Denmark, which President Donald Trump has said must be acquired by the United States for safety reasons. Vance said, "to my fellow Americans," that there is a concern that "if a missile was fired from an enemy country or enemy submarine into the United States, it is the people here before us who would give notice to our brave men and women further south in the United States to let people know what was coming and God willing to try to shoot it down and prepare for it." I think a lot of Americans — certainly I did not realize it fully until President Trump started talking about the importance of our Arctic mission, about building upon it and ensuring America will lead in the Arctic for the next generation."