President Donald Trumpcould very well face his first second-term impeachment if he crosses the line to take Greenland by force, according to a retiring GOP congressman. Republican Congressman Don Bacon of Nebraska claims a US invasion of the Arctic island might go too far and could prompt his party to launch a third impeachment against the two-term president. He acknowledged that while the president doesn’t like ‘being told no,’ he might need to accept it in this case, according to the Omaha World-Herald.
Bacon Says Many Republicans Angry Over Trump’s Greenland Rhetoric
The lawmaker who is not seeking reelection in the fall said that many in the Republican Party are angry with Trump’s escalated rhetoric towards Greenland and his refusal to rule out using the military to take the Danish territory. ‘I’ll be candid with you: There’s so many Republicans mad about this,’ Bacon said on Wednesday. ‘If he went through with the threats, I think it would be the end of his presidency.’ ‘He needs to know: The off-ramp is realizing Republicans aren’t going to tolerate this and he’s going to have to back off. He hates being told no, but in this case, I think Republicans need to be firm,’ Bacon insisted.
Trump was impeached by the Democrat-controlled House twice during his first term, but was acquitted both times by the Senate. Bacon, while a sharp critic of Trump on several issues, voted against both impeachments at the time. He declined to definitely say if he would support a hypothetical impeachment related to Greenland, but admitted he would strongly consider it should it come to that. ‘I don’t want to give you a definite yes or no, but I would lean that way,’ he said. ‘It would be a total mistake to invade an ally. It would be catastrophic to our allies and everything.’ Bacon concluded: ‘It’s just the worst idea ever in my view.’
Talks In Washington Yield No Breakthrough
Trump has continued to publicly talk about taking over control of Greenland from Denmark, which has controlled the island in some capacity since the 14th century. Danish and Greenlandic leaders have snubbed the president’s potential purchase of the territory. Denmark’s Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen and Greenland’s Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt came to Washington, DC on Wednesday to meet with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance, who visited Greenland last year. It resulted in no agreement or major breakthrough, but was described as ‘respectful’ by the Danish delegation.
They admitted that Denmark and the US remain at odds over the future of Greenland. The Danish and Greenlandic ministers also met with senators on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, including Senate Arctic Caucus members Ruben Gallego of Arizona, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Angus King of Maine. Meanwhile in Greenland, European leaders dispatched on Wednesday night military forces following threats by Trump to take the island. Denmark led military exercises with France, Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands, Politico reported. A Canadian spokesperson denied to the outlet that the country was involved in those exercises.
‘The goal is to show that Denmark and key allies can increase their presence in the Arctic region,’ a person briefed on the plans said. Trump posted to Truth Social that the US ‘needs Greenland for the purpose of national security,’ and said ‘anything less than that is unacceptable.’ He told the Daily Mail on Air Force One on Sunday that he isn’t worried about upsetting NATO with a forced takeover because the allies ‘need us much more than we need them.’ The president also quipped over the weekend that Greenland’s only defenses right now are ‘two dogsleds.’
A bipartisan delegation is heading to Denmark this week to meet with officials and show unity with the NATO ally.Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Senator Lisa Murkowski have dismissed the idea of military intervention as unrealistic, with Murkowski warning that any attempt to take the territory by force would ‘degrade our national security and international relationships.’ Senator Mitch McConnell and Senator John Kennedy have been even more blunt, with McConnell calling the threats ‘counterproductive’ and Kennedy labeling the idea of an invasion ‘weapons-grade stupid.’
