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By Daniel Orton
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Nebraska Republican Don Bacon has blasted President Donald Trump’s talk of taking over Greenland, branding the idea "utter buffoonery" and warning it could spark bipartisan impeachment efforts—underscoring deepening GOP fractures over Trump’s foreign policy brinkmanship.
Newsweek emailed the White House for comment early Thursday.
Why It Matters
Impeachment chatter rarely originates from a president’s own party—but Bacon’s warning marks a striking shift. By openly suggesting that Trump’s Greenland invasion rhetoric could warrant removal from office, the five-term congressman signals a breach in the GOP’s long-standing reluctance to entertain impeachment. His comments underscore growing discomfort among Republicans with Trump’s foreign policy provocations and raise questions about whether party unity is fraying as the president pushes increasingly extreme ideas.
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What To Know
Bacon, who is not seeking reelection this year, made his comments in a series of statements reported by the Omaha World-Herald this week.
Trump has recently ramped up his rhetoric on the subject of acquiring Greenland, first publicly floated during his first administration in 2019, by posting on Truth Social that the U.S. "needs Greenland for the purpose of national security" and that "anything less than that is unacceptable."
Bacon warned, "If he went through with the threats, I think it would be the end of his presidency. And he needs to know: The off-ramp is realizing Republicans aren't going to tolerate this and he's going to have to back off. He hates being told no, but in this case, I think Republicans need to be firm."
"It would be a total mistake to invade an ally. It would be catastrophic to our allies and everything. It's just the worst idea ever in my view," he added.
The Nebraska Republican has previously resisted supporting impeachment efforts against Trump—voting against both articles during the president’s first term. However, Bacon acknowledged to the World-Herald that if Trump pushed forward with military action against Greenland, "I would lean that way" regarding possible impeachment.
Bacon recently became the lone Republican cosponsor on a House bill designed to limit the president's capacity to invade a NATO ally, signaling his concern within Congress about the president’s remarks and potential actions.
European leaders, as well as officials from Denmark and Greenland, have pushed back strongly against the idea of any U.S. takeover. "Greenland is not for sale now, just as it was not for sale in 2019," Denmark’s Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said Monday. Greenland's Prime Minister Múte Bourup Egede added, "We are not Danish, we are Greenlandic. We have full authority over our own land, and we will not be sold or bought like a commodity."
Recent surveys show overwhelming opposition among Americans to U.S. efforts to acquire Greenland. A Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted January 12–13 found just 17 percent approve of the push, while 47 percent disapprove and 35 percent are unsure. Support for using military force is almost nonexistent—only 4 percent say it would be a good idea, compared to 71 percent who call it a bad idea.
What People Are Saying
Denmark’s foreign minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen, in a press conference Wednesday, said: "It’s clear the president has a wish to conquer Greenland."
Kentucky Republican Senator Mitch McConnell, in a speech on the Senate floor Wednesday, said: "Close ties with our northernmost allies are what make America's extensive reach in the Arctic actually possible. And I have yet to hear from this administration a single thing we need from Greenland that this sovereign people is not already willing to grant us. Unless and until the president can demonstrate otherwise, then the proposition at hand today is very straightforward: incinerating the hard-won trust of loyal allies in exchange for no meaningful change in U.S. access to the Arctic."
Alaska Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski said: "I think it’s important to send the message that here in Congress we recognize and support the sovereignty of the people of Greenland."
What Happens Next
Bacon’s public remarks may galvanize further Republican and bipartisan pushback against any White House proposal to forcibly acquire Greenland. His co-sponsorship of legislation curbing presidential war powers in NATO contexts is likely to garner attention amid growing international concern. Should President Trump attempt to escalate action toward acquiring Greenland by force, the issue could move rapidly to the forefront of congressional and possibly impeachment proceedings.
Greenlandic, Danish, and wider European reactions suggest that any significant shift in U.S. policy toward Greenland would strain alliances and provoke diplomatic backlash. U.S.-Danish and U.S.-NATO cooperation, especially in the Arctic, could be tested if the rhetoric escalates to concrete policy proposals. Meanwhile, Bacon’s stance signals increasing willingness among some Republicans to openly criticize and, if necessary, oppose Trump’s actions—even to the point of considering impeachment options that some previously rejected.
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