Former President Donald Trump's renewed campaign for the United States to seize or purchase Greenland has ignited a fierce backlash from within his own Republican party, with prominent figures warning the move could cripple the US economy and fatally fracture the NATO military alliance.
Senior Republicans Sound the Alarm
The criticism emerged over the weekend as Trump threatened new tariffs on a slew of European allies, including Denmark, Germany, France, and the UK, ostensibly to pressure them into allowing a US purchase of the autonomous Danish territory. This followed the deployment of NATO troops to Greenland on Thursday, a direct response to Trump's earlier threats of a forceful takeover.
Republican Senators Thom Tillis and Lisa Murkowski, who were part of a bipartisan delegation that recently travelled to Denmark, led the charge. Murkowski took to social media platform X to condemn the proposed tariffs as "unnecessary, punitive, and a profound mistake."
"They will push our core European allies further away while doing nothing to advance US national security," Murkowski wrote. She argued the crisis was forcing NATO to divert resources to Greenland, a situation that "plays directly into [Russian leader Vladimir] Putin's hands by threatening the stability of the strongest coalition of democracies the world has ever seen."
Senator Tillis was equally scathing, stating that "actively pushing for coercive action to seize territory of an ally is beyond stupid." He warned the strategy was "bad for America, bad for American businesses, and bad for America's allies," while being "great for Putin, [Chinese leader] Xi [Jinping] and other adversaries."
Warnings of NATO's Collapse
The concerns extended beyond the Senate. Mike Pence, Trump's own Vice President during his first term, expressed worry that "the current posture … does threaten to fracture that strong relationship, not just with Denmark, but with all of our NATO allies." He emphasised Denmark's role as a "very strong ally" during a Sunday television interview.
Perhaps the starkest warning came from Republican House member Michael McCaul. Appearing on ABC's *This Week*, McCaul cautioned that while the President has full military access to Greenland for defence, an invasion would be catastrophic.
"For him to militarily invade would turn … NATO on its very head and, in essence, press a war with NATO itself," McCaul stated. "It would end up abolishing NATO as we know it."
Protests and Political Manoeuvring
The political firestorm unfolded as thousands of Greenlanders marched in the capital, Nuuk, on Saturday, protesting Trump's demands and calling for the island to determine its own future. This public display of opposition highlights the local resistance to any change in sovereignty.
Trump has repeatedly justified the pursuit of Greenland by citing national security, pointing to the expanding Arctic interests of Russia and China. He has floated methods ranging from a purchase to a military takeover, insisting Denmark cannot be trusted to protect the territory.
However, the bipartisan delegation's trip to meet Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen was specifically intended to underscore Republican opposition to any forcible seizure. Polling indicates a substantial majority of American citizens also oppose taking control of the island.
Not all Republicans were critical. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich dismissed the controversy as "a lot of noise to set up a negotiation," aimed at securing tourist, economic, mineral, and national security rights for the US. He pointed to Greenland's vast natural resources, including oil and gas reserves, as a "huge economic opportunity" coveted by multiple global powers.
As the crisis escalates, with EU diplomats planning crisis talks over what they label tariff "blackmail," the Republican revolt presents a significant political obstacle to Trump's Arctic ambitions, underscoring deep fears about the lasting damage to America's most critical alliances.
