Al Gore appalled by Trump's 'crazy' threats against allies: 'Literally insane'

Former Vice President Al Gore said he was shocked by President Donald Trump's threats against a NATO ally during a speech in Switzerland.

Trump told European leaders in Davos that he would not send troops to seize Greenland from Denmark but still demanded ownership of the world's largest island, saying he would impose severe economic and security penalties if he was not given what he wanted, and Gore reacted to the speech afterwards in an interview with CNN's Kaitlan Collins.

"Well, I think it was aclassic Trump performance," Gore said. "Iwould hate to be the factchecker that had to go throughthat speech, but I think therewas one element of the speechthat I would interpret it as apositive. I think perhapsbecause of the stock market'sreaction yesterday, he appearedto back down from his previousthreat to use military force toacquire Greenland, and ifI'm interpreting thatcorrectly, I think that's a goodthing. It was, of course, crazythat he would do such a thing inthe first place, but I think hebacked down and that's good."

Gore then appeared to correct himself and say that he could not say whether Trump's apparent backdown from military force was influenced by Tuesday's sell-off of U.S. Treasury bonds and the stock market plunge.

"Oh, I can only speculate," Gore said. "I don't know what'sinside his mind. It would bequite something if I could seeinside his mind, but manypeople have speculated that thebond market and the stock marketreally have a lot of influenceon him, and when it goes downalmost 900 points and people dointerpret it as a sell-Americatrade, that may well have beenthe reason he backed down. Itmay have also been that a lot ofpeople who are close to him, whoare more tethered to reality,convinced him that he had made amistake."

Collins asked the former vice president to comment on Trump's claims that he had a right to Greenland because the U.S. had put bases there when Denmark was occupied by Nazi Germany, but Gore said he did not agree with that assessment.

"No, not at all," he said. "You know,when the United States wasattacked on 9/11, Denmarkimmediately responded as part ofNATO and had more per capitacasualties than any other memberof NATO, defending the United States against an attack. NATOhas been a tremendous foreignpolicy achievement for the United States, as our effort tobuild up other alliances toestablish the rule of law, arules-based order, all of thathas benefited the United Statesenormously, and to try to take awrecking ball to thesealliances, the way he took awrecking ball to the East Wing,is literally insane."

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