President Donald Trump’s love of gold has extended from the inside of Trump Tower to the decor of the White House… to a new island in the Pacific?
The president has been offered the island of Bougainville — complete with its large gold mine — as the ‘deal of the century’.
Currently part of Papua New Guinea, Bougainville voted overwhelmingly for independence in a 2019 referendum — but the result wasn’t legally binding.
However, Bougainville’s president, former rebel commander Ishmael Toroama, remains undeterred.
‘Bougainville is for independence. It is only a matter of time,’ he told The World in October, setting 2027 as the target for full statehood.
Then, there’s the prospect of Bougainville becoming part of the United States.
‘If the US comes and says, “Yes, we support Bougainville independence,” then, I can say, “Well, the Panguna mine is here. It’s up to you.”’’ Toroama said.
At the center of the battle for independence lies Bougainville’s immense natural wealth — particularly the dormant Panguna mine, once one of the world’s biggest sources of copper and gold.
It’s estimated to still hold 5.84 million tons of copper and nearly 20 million ounces of gold — worth around $60 billion today.
With its mineral riches and location just north of , Bougainville is seen as a potential prize in the growing power struggle between the U.S. and China.
‘s former High Commissioner to PNG, Ian Kemish, however, isn’t convinced. ‘I don’t really believe that it’s going to be of much interest,’ he told The Sun. ‘But from a geopolitical point of view, an independent Bougainville could be useful to either the U.S. or China.’
Despite 98 percent of voters backing the split, the path to full statehood remains stalled in political limbo, with PNG’s parliament showing little appetite to let the mineral-rich region go.
‘The simple fact is that the national parliament has no wish at all to see Bougainville go,’ Kemish added. ‘Both sides have been avoiding confrontation, but there’s a lot of tension left in this.’
That tension is rooted in a bloody past. Bougainville declared independence once before in 1975 — but was absorbed by PNG a year later, sparking a civil war that raged from 1988 to 1997, claiming thousands of lives.
A 2001 peace deal promised a future vote — delivered in 2019 — but legal independence still requires PNG’s approval.
With PNG missing a 2023 ratification deadline set in the Era Kone Covenant, doubts are growing. ‘They feel the territorial integrity of the nation is at stake,’ said Kemish. ‘If they let one bit go, other bits will want to follow.’
Though shuttered since the civil war, the Panguna mine remains the cornerstone of Bougainville’s dream for economic independence.
‘We have to unlock the economic potential of Bougainville,’ Toroama added. ‘No one will stop our people.’
Home to just over 300,000 people, Bougainville would be among the world’s smallest nations, roughly the size of Cyprus.
Its closest neighbor, the Solomon Islands, has already leaned toward Beijing—adding further intrigue to Bougainville’s fate.
If it succeeds in gaining recognition, Bougainville would be the first new country admitted to the UN since South Sudan in 2011.
This is not the first time Trump has floated bold territorial ambitions.
Shortly after taking office, the former real estate mogul turned president stunned global leaders by expressing interest in purchasing Greenland, the vast Arctic island governed by Denmark.
In 2019, Trump confirmed reports that the U.S. was considering buying the territory, citing its strategic value, abundant natural resources, and potential for military expansion.
‘Essentially, it’s a large real estate deal,’ he told reporters at the time, calling the proposal ‘a great deal for the United States.’
The idea was swiftly rejected by Danish officials, who called the notion ‘absurd.’ Greenland’s government also issued a firm statement: ‘Greenland is not for sale.’
The diplomatic fallout escalated to the point where Trump canceled a planned state visit to Denmark after Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen rebuffed the offer.
Still, Trump never walked back the proposal—suggesting instead that it was a savvy move overlooked by other leaders. ‘I just looked at it strategically. It would be nice,’ he later said.
His Greenland bid marked one of the most audacious foreign policy suggestions of his presidency — until now.
Trump has also toyed with the idea of making Canada the 51st state.
He reportedly joked about former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau becoming a U.S. governor and questioned why the two countries weren’t just one, citing shared culture and trade ties.
Though likely tongue-in-cheek, he mentioned the idea more than once — hinting at using tariffs as leverage.
Canadian officials and the public have firmly rejected the notion, but it fits Trump’s pattern of viewing geopolitics through the lens of a dealmaker.
The DailyMail.com has reached out to the White House for comment.