One Republican lawmaker appears ready to spend his final stretch in Congress lighting matches inside his own party—this time by openly warning that President Donald Trump’s threats to seize Greenland could put him at risk for impeachment.
Nebraska Rep. Don Bacon, 62, said in an interview with the Omaha World-Herald on Wednesday that House Republicans would “lean toward” impeaching Trump if he followed through on his rhetoric about taking over Greenland, a self-governing territory of Denmark, a longtime U.S. ally.
“I’ll be candid with you. There’s so many Republicans mad about this,” Bacon told the outlet. If Trump moved forward with a takeover, Bacon added, “it would be the end of his presidency.”
Bacon called the idea of invading Greenland “utter buffoonery.” He warned that the president’s threats could fracture Republican unity in the House and prompt lawmakers to take action against a commander in chief threatening military force against an ally.
Bacon is not alone in his concern. Republican Mitch McConnell, 83, delivered a speech on the Senate floor on Wednesday, arguing that following through on such a move would devastate Trump’s legacy. The Kentucky Senator warned that the decision would be more “disastrous for the president’s legacy than withdrawing from Afghanistan was for his predecessor,” referring to President Joe Biden.
When reached for comment, the White House affirmed Trump’s statements that Greenland is important to national security.
Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly told the Daily Beast that President Trump is “committed to establishing long-term peace” and believes Greenland is “a strategically important location” critical to U.S. national security. Kelly added that Trump is confident Greenlanders would be “better served if protected by the United States from modern threats in the Arctic region.”
Trump has not relented in discussing the subject. In an early Wednesday morning post on Truth Social, the president described a potential takeover of Greenland as a “vital” national-security issue, accusing Russia and China of plotting a counter-move in the region.
Opens in new windowTrump’s assessment was rebuked by Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen, who told reporters at the Danish Embassy on Wednesday that intelligence assessments do not support Trump’s claims, noting that China has not had warships in Greenland waters “for a decade or so.”
Bacon’s public challenge to Trump comes as the Nebraska Republican is nearing the end of his congressional career. He announced in June that he would retire at the end of his term in 2027. Earlier this week, Bacon joined House Democrats to introduce legislation titled the No Funds for NATO Invasion Act, which would block Trump from using military force—or federal funds—to acquire Greenland.
Trump continues to be vague about his Greenland goals. During a tense Oval Office exchange on Wednesday, a reporter pressed the president on whether his comments signaled a willingness to take Greenland by force. Trump deflected, replying, “You’re telling me that’s what I’m going to do—you don’t know what I’m going to do.”
Polling suggests Trump would have little public support for action against Greenland. A Reuters/Ipsos poll released this week found just 4 percent of Americans support a military takeover of Greenland. Bacon, who previously voted against impeachment, called the idea of invading an ally a “total mistake.”
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