President Donald Trump has once again ramped up his threats to acquire the territory of Greenland from Denmark, not even ruling out potential military occupation of the island. But at least for now, key Republican figures don't appear to be willing to back him on this.
U.S. interest in acquiring Greenland, which is both vital for strategic military purposes and rich in national resources, has existed in various forms since the 19th century. But since the NATO alliance was founded, Denmark has allowed the U.S. military access to the island, which largely tamped down debate in America about acquiring it outright. Trump, a longtime NATO skeptic, has repeatedly pushed to reopen that door, something Denmark and a majority of Greenlanders themselves vehemently oppose.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said, “No, I don’t think that’s appropriate,” in response to questioning about whether Trump could militarily invade Greenland, according to Politico.
Nor is Johnson alone. In the Senate, multiple Republicans have similarly warned Trump to back off.
“It’s none of our business. We’re not going to take over another country. That's our ally," said Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS) in conversation with HuffPost reporter Igor Bobic. "Also the demise of NATO.”
And Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), known for breaking from the Trump administration agenda on some key issues and the representative of a non-contiguous state home to an extensive indigenous population just as Greenland has, had much to say as well.
"I continue to hope the administration’s rhetoric on Greenland is nothing more than posturing for a new era of cooperation, because any effort to claim or take the territory by force would degrade both our national security and our international relationships," she wrote on X. "We have a long history of close cooperation with Greenland, dating back to World War II and continuing today with the Pituffik Space Base, and have always been able to achieve our mutual goals through strong diplomacy with its people. As Greenland charts its future, we must see it as an ally, not an asset, and focus on continued partnership rather than possession."
