President Donald Trump’s plan to acquire Greenland is receiving mixed reactions from Republican lawmakers.
The president has escalated his efforts to have the U.S. take full control of the nation over recent weeks, declaring “there can be no going back” as he prepares to meet with NATO and European officials at the World Economic Forum in Davos this week. He recently announced ten percent tariffs on Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Finland, and the United Kingdom.
The tariffs will kick in on February 1 and will rise to 25 percent by June 1 unless Denmark agrees to sell Greenland to the United States.
The president recently shared private text messages between himself and several European leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, who wrote, “I do not understand what you are doing on Greenland.”
Republicans in Congress remain sharply divided over Trump’s plan. GOP critics argue the plan threatens NATO’s existence and violates international law. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) characterized the plan as “an unprecedented act of strategic self-harm” that would “shatter the trust of allies” and be “more disastrous for Trump’s legacy than the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan.”
Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Roger Wicker (R-MS) said the issue “should be dropped” after meeting with Danish officials, according to ABC News.
Rep. Don Bacon (NE-2), who is retiring soon, called the plan “the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard” and “utter buffonery.”
Trump has not indicated whether he would resort to a military invasion of Greenland, an idea Bacon criticized. “If we invade Greenland, I’m going to lean towards voting to impeach the president,” he said, also noting that “Greenland is a NATO ally. Denmark is one of our best friends.”
Greenland is our ally and threatening an ally is foolish policy, especially when we’d be able to add bases there if we wanted. We sound too much like Putin and it is wrong. pic.twitter.com/l0f0li4SR1
— Rep. Don Bacon 🇺🇸✈️🏍️⭐️🎖️ (@RepDonBacon) January 17, 2026
Sens. Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) traveled to Copenhagen, Denmark, to reassure Danish officialls that they will fight the attempt to acquire Greenland. Tillis said Trump’s tariffs were “bad for America, bad for American businesses, and bad for America’s allies” and called Trump’s advisors “beyond stupid.” He further suggested that if Trump used the military, there would be enough numbers in Congress to pass a war powers resolution blocking the move.
Murkowski said the tariffs were “unnecessary, punitive, and a profound mistake.” The lawmaker recently introduced legislation barring the Defense and State Departments from using funds for military action against NATO member nations, The Hill reported.
However, some Republicans support the move, touting it as critical for national security. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) said acquiring Greenland would be “overwhelmingly in America’s national interest,” comparing it to the Louisiana Purchase and the acquisition of Alaska. He also said Greenland’s rare-earth minerals and its strategic position against Russian and Chinese expansion would benefit the United States.
When talking about Greenland, Senator Ted Cruz said: “To become an American is the greatest gift we can give anyone on planet Earth.” pic.twitter.com/J4FemSYcg0
— Roman Sheremeta 🇺🇸🇺🇦 (@rshereme) January 5, 2026
Rep. Randy Fine (FL-6) introduced the “Greenland Annexation and Statehood Act” to authorize Trump to take “such steps as may be necessary” to annex the nation. He told Fox News, “I think the best way to acquire Greenland is voluntarily.”
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) said the move would “secure vital strategic interests” and also pointed out the Russian and Chinese threat.
Several polls show that a majority of Americans oppose the acquisition of Greenland.
Among all Americans, a CBS poll found 86 percent oppose using military force to acquire Greenland. A CNN/SSRS poll showed that 75 percent oppose the U.S. attempting to take control, while only 25 percent support it. An Economist/YouGov poll found that just 8 percent support military force, while 68 percent oppose it. A Reuters/Ipsos poll showed 17 percent approve of efforts to acquire Greenland, while 47 percent disapprove.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll showed that only 40 percent of Republicans approve of the Greenland plan. A CNN poll puts it at about 50-50 among Republican voters.
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