Republicans send dangerous message to Trump about possible invasion of Greenland

The resumption of US President Donald Trump’s expansionist speech around Greenland has provoked an unusual reaction within the Republican Party. Conservative parliamentarians, including names historically aligned with the White House, began to express public criticism and warnings about the political, diplomatic and strategic risks of a possible attempt to control the territory, which is part of the Kingdom of Denmark, an ally of the United States in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

The dissent gained visibility after reports in the British newspaper The Guardian detail how the issue returned to the center of political debate in Washington. The subject was revived after Trump once again mentioned Greenland in recent statements, in a context marked by the US operation in Venezuela that resulted in the capture of President Nicolás Maduro and by more assertive rhetoric from the US government on the international stage.

Although the Republican Party usually maintains cohesion around the president, especially on foreign policy issues, the Greenland case has encouraged more direct demonstrations. Opinion polls indicate widespread rejection by the American population of the idea of ​​annexing the territory, while Danish authorities claim that any attempt at occupation would represent, in practice, a serious rupture within NATO, with profound impacts on the security architecture of the North Atlantic.

One of the most striking positions came from Senator Thom Tillis, from North Carolina. In a speech on the Senate floor, Tillis classified the proposal as “absurd”, stating that “the idea of ​​the United States adopting the position that it would take Greenland, an independent territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, is absurd”. He added that the debate ignores the history of good relations between the United States and the local population, noting that “the people of Greenland, until recent times, were very pro-American and in favor of the US presence.”

In the House of Representatives, Representative Don Bacon of Nebraska took an even more direct tone. In an interview with Omaha World-Heraldstated that a concrete escalation of threats could have devastating effects for the government itself. “If he followed through on these threats, I think it would be the end of his presidency,” Bacon said. According to the congressman, it would be up to Republicans to impose clear limits: “He hates to hear no, but in this case, I think Republicans need to be firm.”

Former Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell also spoke out against the initiative. McConnell compared the potential damage of the proposal to the wear and tear suffered by Joe Biden’s government with the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan in 2021. For him, insisting on the idea of ​​controlling Greenland would be “more disastrous for the president’s legacy than the withdrawal from Afghanistan was for his predecessor”. The senator warned that the measure could “incinerate the hard-won trust of loyal allies” without bringing concrete gains to the United States’ strategic access to the Arctic.

Since the beginning of his second term, Trump has reiterated an expansionist stance in public statements, even mentioning the possibility of annexing Canada, the Panama Canal and Greenland. The speech had lost ground in recent months, amid the government’s decline in popularity, driven by concerns about the cost of living and criticism of the heavily militarized migration policy. The topic, however, returned to the agenda after the successful operation in Venezuela, which reinforced the government’s image of strength among its base.

In Europe, the North American president’s statements provoked an immediate reaction. Troops from France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Norway and Sweden landed in Greenland this week, in a show of political support for Denmark. Authorities involved described the initiative as a symbolic gesture, but also as an exploratory mission to assess the feasibility of a prolonged military presence in the territory.

Despite a meeting between representatives of Greenland and Denmark with Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, there was no change in the US government’s position. After the meeting, Trump once again stated that the US “needs” Greenland for national security reasons and even threatened to impose tariffs on countries that oppose his campaign.

Even though he maintains the support of the majority of Republicans, the president has faced occasional cracks. Recently, after the Senate advanced a resolution that would require prior notification to Congress before new attacks on Venezuela, Trump publicly criticized five Republican senators who supported the measure alongside Democrats. Days later, two of these parliamentarians changed their votes, blocking the proposal.

Other Republicans also expressed reservations about the Greenland strategy. Senator Lisa Murkowski, from Alaska, declared during a visit to Copenhagen that she does not consider the idea viable and defended the strengthening of the partnership with the territory. “Greenland needs to be seen as our ally, not an asset,” he said.

Even close allies of Trump have expressed discomfort with the effects of the rhetoric on NATO. Rep. Mike Turner of Ohio wrote that it is critical to respect the sovereignty of Denmark and Greenland, highlighting the importance of transatlantic relations. Senator John Kennedy, from Louisiana, told CNN that invading Greenland, an allied territory, would be “military-level stupidity”, adding that he does not believe Trump will follow that path.

The episode exposes one of the rare situations in which the United States president’s speech meets explicit resistance within his own party, especially on a sensitive foreign policy issue that involves strategic allies and the stability of the international system.