A sitting Republican lawmaker, Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska, just slammed President Trump’s latest foreign policy scheme as “utter buffoonery” and is openly considering impeachment if the situation escalates further, according to The Hill. This is a massive development, especially coming from within the president’s own party, and it shows just how seriously some are taking the administration’s aggressive push to acquire Greenland.
President Trump has been quite vocal about his desire for the U.S. to take ownership of Greenland, which is currently a semiautonomous Arctic territory under Danish control. To pressure European allies into complying, the president announced plans to implement 10 percent tariffs on goods coming from eight different European countries. Rep. Bacon called the conduct “very embarrassing” when sharing news of the president’s communications on X.
In a letter sent to Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, President Trump apparently cited the Norwegian Nobel Committee’s decision last year not to award him the Nobel Peace Prize. He stated that this snub was the reason he “no longer feel[s] an obligation to think purely of Peace.”
Rep. Bacon stands out as a crucial Republican voice joining this wave of criticism against Trump’s bizarre Greenland plans
It’s completely understandable why European allies are pushing back hard against this idea. Greenland is an island rich with natural resources, and it’s viewed as absolutely essential for security in the Arctic region. Prime Minister Støre had to issue a public statement clarifying that Norway’s government does not actually award the Nobel prizes; that responsibility falls to an independent committee.
The Democratic response to the president’s policy has been swift and overwhelmingly negative. Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut, who serves on the Foreign Relations Committee, wrote on X that “these are the ramblings of a man who has lost touch with reality.” Similarly, Sen. Ruben Gallego of Arizona wrote on X that same day that the U.S. is “now the enemy of the free world because a pathetic man got his feelings hurt.”
Rep. Bacon stands out as a crucial Republican voice joining this wave of criticism. He said last week that if the U.S. decides to invade Greenland, he would absolutely consider impeaching President Trump. While Bacon is not seeking reelection in 2026, which perhaps gives him the freedom to speak his mind, his willingness to entertain impeachment over a territorial acquisition push is incredibly significant. It certainly signals that the president’s actions are causing major rifts in Washington.
Adding another layer of strangeness to the Nobel motivation, Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, who actually received the award last year, presented her prize to President Trump at the White House last week. This happened right after the U.S. controversially captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. However, the Nobel committee has since clarified that the prize cannot be transferred away from the intended recipient.
It seems this entire international incident is tangled up in geopolitical power plays and, oddly enough, a highly coveted but nontransferable gold medal.
Published: Jan 20, 2026 12:00 pm