President Trump ups the ante on bid to take over Greenland
WASHINGTON (NBC, KYMA) - President Donald Trump is upping the ante in his bid to take over Greenland, telling Norway's leader since he lost out on the Nobel Peace Prize, he doesn't feel obligated to think of of peace, and can now think about what's "good and proper" for the United States.
This comes as European Union (EU) countries talk options to counter the president's tariff threats with trade measures of their own while one of the president's staunchest allies in Congress is downplaying the chance of a military takeover of Greenland.
President Trump left the National Football Championship in Florida overnight, and is looking ahead to the world economic forum in Davos, Switzerland, where he'll come face to face with many of the European leaders antagonized by his intensifying push to take control of Greenland and tariff threats against eight countries, and close allies, standing in his way.
"It's going to be a very interesting Davos," Trump said. "I don't think they're going to push back too much. Look, we have to have it. They have to have this done. They can't protect it."
The president responding to a revelation from Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, who says he reached out about Greenland, and Trump replied in part, "Considering your country decided not to give me the Nobel Peace Prize for having stopped eight wars plus, I no longer feel an obligation to think purely of peace."
Prime Minister Støre pointed out the Nobel Committee selects the prize winners, not Norway's government.
However, Trump is rejecting that while adding that he doesn't care about the prize.
"If anybody thinks that Norway doesn't control the Nobel Prize, they're just kidding," Trump expressed.
That as Trump declined to answer when NBC News asked if he would take Greenland by force.
Close Republican allies, like House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), downplayed the idea.
"I don't foresee military intervention in Greenland. It's a small population of people, and I think diplomatic channels is the way to go," Speaker Johnson explained.
The president maintains the U.S. needs to own Greenland to guard against what he sees as threats from Russia and China to take it over, all amid the growing risk of a fresh trade war with close allies.
European leaders holding an emergency summit this week deciding how to respond to the U.S. tariffs, including potentially what's known as the "trade bazooka."
It's never been used and would allow EU members to impose broad retaliatory measures, even as many are calling to deescalate.
