Erik De La Garza
January 13, 2025
RAW STORY
Donald Trump Jr. visits Nuuk, Greenland, on Tuesday, January 7, 2025. Donald Trump Jr. is on a private visit to Greenland. Emil Stach/Ritzau Scanpix/via REUTERS
President-elect Donald Trump’s interest in buying Greenland is being embraced by Republican lawmakers and inching closer to receiving a congressional stamp of approval.
Trump has repeatedly insisted that the United States should acquire the island for purposes of “national security and freedom,” and last week refused to rule out military action to accomplish that goal.
But as the incoming president prepares to reemerge in the White House in a matter of days with a Republican-controlled Congress waiting in the wings, his plans to take over Greenland are building support – at least among GOP allies.
As of Monday morning, 10 congressional Republicans had signed on as co-sponsors of a bill authorizing Trump to engage in discussions for the purchase of Greenland, Reuters reported.
The bill – titled “Make Greenland Great Again Act” – is being spearheaded by far-right Tennessee Reps. Andy Ogles and Diana Harshbarger, who have circulated a copy around Capitol Hill for co-sponsors.
If passed, it would allow Trump to enter into negotiations with Denmark on Jan. 20, after he is sworn into office.
"Congress hereby authorizes the President, beginning at 12:01 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on January 20, 2025, to seek to enter into negotiations with the Kingdom of Denmark to secure the acquisition of Greenland by the United States," according to a draft of the bill, as reported by Reuters.
"Not later than 5 calendar days after reaching an agreement with the Kingdom of Denmark relating to the acquisition of Greenland by the United States, the President shall transmit to the appropriate congressional committees the agreement, including all related materials and annexes," it added.
Officials in both Greenland and Denmark have forcefully pushed back on Trump’s insistence involving the U.S. acquiring the island, with Greenland’s Prime Minister Mute Egede saying last month it was “not for sale and will never be for sale.”
‘Reckless stupidity’: Pulitzer-winning columnist warns of 'chaos' over Trump’s antics
Erik De La Garza
January 13, 2025
RAW STORY
Donald Trump (Reuters)
President-elect Donald Trump’s repeated insistence that the United States will purchase Greenland and take over the Panama Canal in his next administration comes with real-world consequences, according to New York Times columnist Tom Friedman.
And his international bluster shouldn’t be taken as a joke, Friedman warned in an opinion piece published Monday, adding that “China and Russia are listening.”
“Trump’s remarks are reckless stupidity beyond belief,” Friedman wrote. The Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist told readers that Trump’s desire for the United States to acquire Greenland and the Panama Canal has "already done more damage than people realize."
Continued threats from the incoming president to seize various lands could put the country at serious risk, and do harm to the “world order established after World War II,” Friedman wrote.
“Some may think Trump’s remarks on taking Greenland and the Panama Canal are just a joke from an attention-seeking leader with no filter,” according to the columnist. “They are not a joke. They are a prescription for chaos.”
Most troubling to Friedman is who he believes is certainly paying attention: President Xi Jinping of China and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“If the U.S. president can decide that he wants to seize Greenland and explicitly refuses to rule out the use of force to do so, that is like a giant permission slip for China to seize Taiwan, which has strong emotional, historical, linguistic and national connections to mainland China,” Friedman wrote.
Similarly, the columnist wondered how the United States could possibly tell Putin he’s violating international law by seizing the territory of another nation, as Trump openly fantasizes about taking over Greenland and the Panama Canal while refusing to rule out using military force.
Friedman concluded his piece by adding that it’s “no wonder” Putin’s press secretary said during an interview on CNBC on Thursday that Russia is “watching the rhetoric on these topics coming out of Washington with great interest.”
Erik De La Garza
January 13, 2025
RAW STORY
Donald Trump (Reuters)
President-elect Donald Trump’s repeated insistence that the United States will purchase Greenland and take over the Panama Canal in his next administration comes with real-world consequences, according to New York Times columnist Tom Friedman.
And his international bluster shouldn’t be taken as a joke, Friedman warned in an opinion piece published Monday, adding that “China and Russia are listening.”
“Trump’s remarks are reckless stupidity beyond belief,” Friedman wrote. The Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist told readers that Trump’s desire for the United States to acquire Greenland and the Panama Canal has "already done more damage than people realize."
Continued threats from the incoming president to seize various lands could put the country at serious risk, and do harm to the “world order established after World War II,” Friedman wrote.
“Some may think Trump’s remarks on taking Greenland and the Panama Canal are just a joke from an attention-seeking leader with no filter,” according to the columnist. “They are not a joke. They are a prescription for chaos.”
Most troubling to Friedman is who he believes is certainly paying attention: President Xi Jinping of China and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“If the U.S. president can decide that he wants to seize Greenland and explicitly refuses to rule out the use of force to do so, that is like a giant permission slip for China to seize Taiwan, which has strong emotional, historical, linguistic and national connections to mainland China,” Friedman wrote.
Similarly, the columnist wondered how the United States could possibly tell Putin he’s violating international law by seizing the territory of another nation, as Trump openly fantasizes about taking over Greenland and the Panama Canal while refusing to rule out using military force.
Friedman concluded his piece by adding that it’s “no wonder” Putin’s press secretary said during an interview on CNBC on Thursday that Russia is “watching the rhetoric on these topics coming out of Washington with great interest.”
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