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During a White House event centered on health care, Trump suggested the possibility of imposing tariffs on nations that do not cooperate with the U.S. regarding Greenland. He stated, “I may put a tariff on countries if they don’t go along with Greenland, because we need Greenland for national security. So I may do that.”
Trump has often utilized the threat of tariffs as a strategy to fulfill his foreign policy objectives.
However, there is no clear indication that such tariffs have been officially implemented, and the White House has not responded to multiple requests for comment on the matter.
Trump’s authority to impose broad, country-specific tariffs could soon face restrictions, as the Supreme Court is set to deliver a decision in a significant case.
Regardless of the Supreme Court’s decision, Trump will still have several options to raise tariffs, although these alternatives are more constrained compared to his usual approach of targeting specific countries.
Republican Congressman Don Bacon said his threats against countries defending Greenland is “absurd”.
“Just on the weird chance that he’s serious about invading Greenland, I want to let him know it would probably be the end of his presidency,” Bacon said.
“Most Republicans know this is immoral and wrong, and we’re going to stand up against it.”
Greenland, a resource-rich island of 2.16 million square kilometres, is a former Danish colony and now an autonomous territory of Denmark, situated in the Arctic.
It’s the world’s least densely populated country and is so remote that its 56,000 residents travel by boat, helicopter and plane between its towns, which are predominantly scattered along the island’s western coast.
Nuuk, the territory’s capital city, is emblematic of those towns, featuring brightly coloured houses crowded together between a jagged coastline and inland mountains.