Republicans skeptical Trump will use military action against Greenland
WASHINGTON – Republicans in Congress are walking a fine line when it comes to President Donald Trump and Greenland .
On one hand, many GOP lawmakers agree with Trump that a potential purchase of the resource-rich Denmark territory – which the White House says it is actively pursuing negotiations over – could be a good thing.
On the other hand, the Trump administration's inability to rule out taking military action to annex the world's largest non-continental island has frustrated many members of the president's own party.
More: Invasion, coercion, purchase. Trump's Greenland options examined
"We need to not threaten a peaceful nation that’s an ally where we have a military base already," said Sen. James Lankford, R-Oklahoma, as he left a Capitol Hill briefing on Jan. 7 with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and War Secretary Pete Hegseth on the situation in Venezuela.
After a meeting among Senate Republicans the same day, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Kentucky, said he didn't hear anyone within the conference support the idea of taking military action in Greenland.
Especially on the heels of the Trump administration's decision to capture and depose the president of Venezuela, European leaders are wary of a new kind of American boldness abroad. A U.S. takeover of Greenland would amount to an end of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization alliance, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said on Jan. 5.
More: Greenland is a no, but what territories has the U.S. purchased?
Read more: Invasion, coercion, purchase. Trump's Greenland options examined
Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, the former longtime Senate majority leader, called the potential seizure of Greenland an "especially catastrophic act of strategic self-harm to America and its global influence.”
After departing the Rubio-Hegseth Jan. 7 briefing, Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-North Dakota, said he wasn't aware of plans to use military force against Greenland. He likened the hypothetical action to bombing London.
"Would I be concerned about NATO if the United States started attacking NATO countries? I mean that’s obvious," he said. "But that’s not what’s happening."
More: Trump administration 'actively discussing' possible Greenland purchase
Still, many Republican lawmakers aren't opposed to an amicable acquisition of the island by the U.S. South Dakota GOP Sen. Mike Rounds said "it would be great" if Danish leaders decided they wanted to sell the territory. But he stressed that such a change would have to happen under "appropriate conditions."
"We’re not looking at doing a military operation," he said.
Yet White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Jan. 6 that military action is "always an option" at Trump's disposal, including to acquire Greenland.
Why does Trump want Greenland? He says we'll 'worry about' it in 2 months
Some lawmakers suspect the administration's hawkish ambivalence might just be a tactic to influence the sale of the territory to the U.S. After all, Trump has a well-established maximalist negotiating style, said Sen. Tim Sheehy, R-Montana.
"He wants to use the full spectrum of possibilities to enhance his negotiating position," he said.
This story has been updated to add new information.
Zachary Schermele is a congressional reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach him by email at zschermele@usatoday.com. Follow him on X at @ZachSchermele and Bluesky at @zachschermele.bsky.social .
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: GOP draws a red line for Trump on Greenland. It's military action.
