Trump’s Greenland Hospital Ship Claim Under Fire as Navy Denies Deployment

By Michael Katz | Monday, 23 February 2026 07:19 PM EST

The Department of War stated on Monday it had received no orders to deploy any Navy vessels to Greenland. This contradicts President Trump’s announcement that a hospital ship was en route to the self-governed Danish territory.

Trump wrote Saturday on Truth Social: “Working with the fantastic Governor of Louisiana, Jeff Landry, we are going to send a great hospital boat to take care of the many people who are sick and not being taken care of there. It’s on the way!!!”

The Navy operates two hospital ships—the East Coast-based USNS Comfort and the West Coast-based USNS Mercy—which serve as floating medical treatment sites. According to maritime tracking information, both vessels are currently in a shipyard in Mobile, Alabama.

The Comfort is scheduled for repairs completion in April, while the Mercy is undergoing a one-year maintenance period that began in July, per recent reports.

Spokespersons from the Navy and Pentagon referred questions regarding potential deployment to the White House. White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly addressed Trump’s social media post directly.

A U.S. official informed reporters that should the Pentagon decide to send one of its hospital ships to Greenland, a formal request from Danish authorities would be required before docking on the island.

Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen asked Trump on Sunday to engage with him personally rather than making “random outbursts” on social media. Nielsen stated: “It’s going to be a no thanks from us,” adding that Greenland provides free healthcare for its citizens, unlike the United States.

Trump’s special envoy to Greenland, Jeff Landry, criticized Nielsen’s remarks. Landry claimed he had spoken with many Greenlanders about their healthcare challenges, noting that numerous villages and small towns lack basic medical services, forcing residents to travel long distances for treatment.

“A healthy Greenland is vital for America’s national security,” Landry said. “America is committed to defending Greenland, which begins by ensuring its people are protected from basic illnesses.”

Trump’s announcement came hours after Denmark evacuated a U.S. submarine crew member who required urgent medical attention off the coast of Greenland. The Danish Joint Arctic Command reported that the individual was transferred to a hospital in Nuuk.