U.S. President Donald Trump addresses House Republicans at their annual issues conference retreat, at the Kennedy Center, renamed the Trump-Kennedy Center by the Trump-appointed board of directors, in Washington, D.C., U.S., January 6, 2026. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
President Donald Trump's refusal to rule out sending the U.S. military to intervene in another foreign country's affairs stunned analysts and observers on Tuesday.
Trump administration officials were negotiating an option to purchase Greenland from the Kingdom of Denmark, and noted that "utilizing the military is always an option" that Trump has during the negotiations, White House correspondent Nandita Bose of Reuters reported. Administration officials are also negotiating a so-called Compact of Free Association with Denmark that would allow the U.S. to use Greenland's land, Bose reported.
The statement followed a claim Trump made on Truth Social where he described Greenland, which is a sovereign country, as being an American "protectorate." Reporters at The Atlantic recently noted that this claim revealed Trump's strategy: to claim possession of the island country and force NATO allies to fight him for it.
Trump's most recent threat to use the U.S. military to invade the country stunned political analysts and observers.
"Let’s be very clear. Offensive military action without an imminent threat to the United States is plainly impermissible without congressional approval," constitutional law professor Anthony Michael Kries posted on X. "It would be a serious encroachment on Article I. And that’s before we get to any relative international law principles."
"So it sounds like Trump is going to use the military to seize Greenland," political communications expert Justin Higgins posted on X. "A Compact with Free Association is essentially a treaty. That would require the people and leaders of Greenland to want to join the United States, which is not going to happen."
"Normally, presidents start thinking about solving the Mideast when they reach the 'obsessed with the history books' stage of their careers, but I guess since Trump already believes he did that, we have to start invading places," Christopher Clary, associate professor of political science at the University of Albany, posted on X.