In a series of recent statements, Donald Trump has declared that Greenland must become American – and that he does not rule out using either economic or military pressure to take control of the world’s largest island.
These imperial ambitions have come under heavy criticism, and now even voices within his own party are arguing that Trump’s moves are downright “embarrassing and harmful“.
Don Bacon, a Republican congressman from Illinois, was one of the few Republican voices opposing Trump’s trade tariffs, and he is also highly critical of how Trump is treating his allies Denmark and Greenland.
– Nobody in their right mind thinks we’re going to invade Greenland or make Canada our 51st state. But that’s what he’s saying and I think it’s devastating. It’s embarrassing”, he says in an interview with Danish newspaper Berlinske.
– I don’t know what’s going on in his mind, but I know that he loves the fuss this is creating in the media, Bacon continues, and says that many Republicans share his criticism, but that few dare to express it publicly.
May attract with money
Greenland is currently an autonomous part of Denmark, with extensive self-government, and as recently as January, an opinion poll showed that 85% of Greenlanders opposed becoming part of the United States.
According to Trump himself and sources close to the White House, however, the president remains determined to take over Greenland one way or another – and one possible option is to simply lure the Greenlanders with large sums of money and other benefits if they reject Denmark and accept American sovereignty instead.
Greenland is very sparsely populated, with only 57,000 inhabitants – which means that it would be perfectly possible for the Americans to offer the population very generous grants without putting a significant burden on the US treasury.
The Nordic Times has previously noted how Greenland was discovered by Norwegians more than 1,000 years ago and how Greenland has been Danish for longer than the United States has existed as a state.
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Conservative activist and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk was shot and killed yesterday during an appearance at Utah Valley University. The murder has shocked the United States, and President Donald Trump has condemned the act in several statements, calling Kirk a “martyr for truth and freedom”.
Charlie Kirk, 31, was participating in a public event during his “American Comeback Tour” when he was shot in front of an audience of approximately 3,000 people.
According to the police report, a single shot was fired from a rooftop of a building approximately 200 meters from the stage, and the bullet struck Kirk in the neck. Witnesses describe how the audience threw themselves to the floor or fled in panic, and Kirk was taken to the hospital in critical condition but later died from his injuries.
The investigation is being led by the FBI together with local authorities. Two people were initially brought in for questioning but were later released. Authorities confirm that a person of interest, dressed in black tactical equipment with helmet, mask, rifle and pilot goggles, has been described by witnesses. However, the killer’s identity and motive have not yet been established.
“The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead. No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie. He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us. Melania and my Sympathies go out to his beautiful wife Erika, and family. Charlie, we love you!”, wrote the US president in a post on Truth Social and also published a filmed speech where he again emphasized his grief.
Photo: facsimile/Truth Social/Trump
— I am filled with grief and anger at the heinous assassination of Charlie Kirk. Charlie inspired millions and tonight all who knew him and loved him are united in shock and horror.
The president described Kirk as a “martyr for truth and freedom” and argued that the 31-year-old’s mission was to make people politically engaged, something he was better at than anyone else, according to Trump.
— Charlie was the best of America. I ask people to commit themselves to the American values for which Charlie Kirk lived and died: the values of free speech, citizenship, the rule of law, and the patriotic devotion and love of God.
Trump emphasized that the act was directed at the entire nation and that “the monster who attacked him” apparently had political motives.
— Violence and murder are the tragic consequence of demonizing those with whom you disagree day after day, year after year, in the most hateful and despicable way possible.
— An assassin tried to silence him with a bullet, but he failed, because together, we will ensure that his voice, his message and his legacy will live on for countless generations to come. Today, because of this heinous act, Charlie’s voice has become bigger and grander than ever before – and it’s not even close.
Trump is one of many public figures who have commented on the murder. At the same time, large memorial ceremonies have been arranged around the country where participants have sung “God Bless America” and praised Kirk.
Incredible. Large vigils for Charlie Kirk have popped up all over the country.
Patriots are out signing God Bless America, honoring Charlie’s work to save our country.
“Patriots are out signing God Bless America, honoring Charlie’s work to save our country”, notes journalist Nick Sortor, and talk show host Tucker Carlson briefly urged his followers to “never forget this young man”.
You misspelled “murdered.”
Oh, and Charlie Kirk was a journalist. Before anything else, you should be outraged that a fellow champion of a free press has been assassinated. But, of course, you’re just a propaganda organ for the Democrat Party, so why would you actually care? pic.twitter.com/ZTI33cFhU9
Utah Governor Spencer Cox described the shooting as a “political murder” and Turning Point USA, the organization Kirk founded as a teenager, announced in a statement that they are “devastated” by the act and promised to continue Kirk’s work.
In left-liberal media, the tone has at times been different, and several of these have tried to relativize or downplay what happened. Some have even gone so far as to baselessly try to advance the theory that Kirk was accidentally shot by one of his own supporters, despite no evidence supporting this.
Although the assassination occurred as recently as yesterday, it is already considered by many to be one of the most high-profile political murders in modern US history, where many regard Kirk as a leader and central voice for young conservative voters.
At least three Americans with ties to President Donald Trump are conducting influence operations in Greenland aimed at undermining the relationship between Denmark and Greenland.
The men are mapping Trump-friendly Greenlanders and gathering information that could be used to damage Denmark’s reputation, according to sources speaking to Danish media.
Actors with direct connections to the White House are conducting systematic attempts to infiltrate Greenlandic society. The goal is to create a pro-American independence movement and weaken ties to Denmark, reveal several anonymous sources with insight into the matter to Danish public broadcaster DR.
One of the men, who has often been seen publicly with President Trump and recently received a role with influence over US security policy, landed earlier this year in snow-covered Nuuk, Greenland’s capital, with a clear mission. He established lists of both Trump sympathizers and opponents among Greenlandic citizens, it is reported.
At the same time, he is said to have collected material about controversial Danish affairs – such as forced removals of Greenlandic children and the so-called spiral affair where Danish doctors inserted contraceptives into Greenlandic women without consent.
— What we see is the use of soft power, influence and attempts to create internal division, says a source to the channel.
Danish security service confirms influence campaigns
Both Danish authorities and the country’s government are now closely monitoring the Americans’ movements on the Arctic island. Two of the men, both with backgrounds in the Trump administration, have regularly traveled between the US and Greenland in recent years to build networks among politicians and businessmen.
— We are all worried about this. Of course we are, confirms a government source.
The Danish Security and Intelligence Service (PET) also confirms that Greenland is being subjected to influence campaigns and that they are in “ongoing and close dialogue with the Greenlandic authorities about developments in the threat picture”.
According to PET’s assessment, the campaigns aim to “create division in the relationship between Greenland and Denmark” by exploiting real or fabricated conflicts.
Vance: We have no other option. We need to take a significant position in Greenland to keep the people here safe and to keep our own country safe. pic.twitter.com/8PmzbJskfL
Sources within the government describe the Trump administration’s Greenland strategy as divided into three distinct phases since the president declared in December 2024 that American “ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity”.
First came the charm offensive, symbolized by Donald Trump Jr.’s high-profile visit to Nuuk in January. This was followed by pressure on Denmark, when Vice President J.D. Vance visited the American Pituffik base in March and accused Denmark of betraying the Greenlanders. Now the strategy is in its third phase according to sources: infiltration of Greenlandic society.
One source warns that the summer’s calmer activity may be misleading:
— Perhaps what we are experiencing right now is the calm before the storm. And perhaps the fewer activities in Greenland are an expression that professional institutions have begun to operate, which they will be better at hiding, he speculates.
Concerns were heightened after the Wall Street Journal’s reporting in May that American intelligence services had been ordered to intensify espionage in Greenland, focusing on the independence movement and mapping Trump sympathizers.
The American activities also place Danish power holders in a delicate position. While they want to alert Greenlanders to the influence attempts and prevent them, they are simultaneously concerned for political reasons about not being perceived as interfering in Greenland’s internal affairs.
— Greenlanders are welcome to work for independence, and the US is welcome to invest and work for stronger ties to Greenland, explains one source, but emphasizes that there are limits that must not be crossed.
— No one is allowed to spy – not even the Americans.
The White House has declined to comment on the allegations from Danish media, and the US embassy in Copenhagen, Denmark refers to the fact that “the American government does not control or direct the actions of private citizens” and that they “respect the Greenlandic people’s right to determine their own future”.
Donald Trump warns of new tariffs and export controls against countries that he claims “discriminate” against American tech giants. The statement could escalate trade conflicts with both the United Kingdom and the EU.
In a post on his Truth Social platform on Monday evening, the president launched a harsh attack against “digital taxes, legislation, rules or regulations” and claimed that as president he intends to defend American companies against what he described as malicious attacks.
“As the President of the United States, I will stand up to Countries that attack our incredible American Tech Companies. Digital Taxes, Digital Services Legislation and Digital Markets Regulations are all designed to harm, or discriminate against, American Technology”, Trump wrote.
“They also, outrageously, give a complete pass to China’s largest Tech Companies. This must end, and end NOW!” he continued.
True to form, Trump uses his own social media platform to tell the world about his plans. Photo: facsimile/Donald Trump/Truth Social
According to analysts, the statement risks further deteriorating trade relations between the US, the United Kingdom and the EU.
“Flagrant attack”
Washington has long criticized the UK’s digital services tax, which despite American criticism was retained after an agreement with Trump’s previous administration. The US has also directed harsh criticism at the EU’s Digital Services Act, which places higher demands on large tech companies to control content on their platforms.
Several EU countries, including France, Italy and Spain, have had their own taxes of similar nature since before, reports Financial Times.
In June, Canada chose to scrap its digital services tax to pave the way for trade negotiations with the US. Trump had previously described the tax as a “direct and flagrant” attack. The British also considered changes to their tax, but ultimately managed to reach a trade agreement without making changes.
In the UK’s case, the tax is 2 percent and applies to companies like Alphabet, Meta and Amazon. It affects companies with global revenues over £500 million and is levied on parts of turnover exceeding £25 million in the country.
American semiconductor manufacturers Nvidia and AMD have agreed to pay 15 percent of their revenues from chip sales in China to the US government. The arrangement is the condition for obtaining export licenses under President Donald Trump’s administration.
According to sources familiar with the situation, including a US government official, both companies approved the financial arrangement to obtain export licenses for the Chinese market, which were granted last week.
The American official stated that Nvidia agreed to share 15 percent of revenues from H20 chip sales in China, while AMD will provide the same percentage from MI308 chip revenues. The Trump administration has not yet decided how the money will be used, reports Financial Times.
Never seen before
According to export control experts, this is the first time ever that an American company has agreed to pay a portion of its revenues to obtain export licenses. However, the arrangement fits into a pattern under the Trump administration where the president urges companies to take actions, such as domestic investments, to avoid tariffs.
The Commerce Department began issuing H20 export licenses on Friday, two days after Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang met with President Trump. The administration has also begun issuing licenses for AMD’s chips to China.
Nvidia did not deny the arrangement and said: “We follow rules the US government sets for our participation in worldwide markets”. AMD commented: “Our initial licence applications have been approved” and added that the company “adhere to all US export control laws and policies”.
Criticism from security experts
The decision to sell the chips to China has drawn criticism from American security experts who argue that the H20 chip will help the Chinese military and undermine US strength in artificial intelligence.
— Beijing must be gloating to see Washington turn export licences into revenue streams, says Liza Tobin, a China expert who served on the National Security Council during Trump’s first administration.
In a letter to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Matt Pottinger, former deputy national security advisor, and 19 other security experts warned against granting H20 licenses. They called the H20 a “potent accelerator of China’s frontier AI capabilities”.
Nvidia dismissed the criticism as “misdirected” and rejected that China could use the H20 for military purposes.
The debate comes as the US and China hold trade talks that Trump hopes will pave the way for a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
