WASHINGTON — Some GOP lawmakers are irked at President Trump’s vow to slap new 10% tariffs on eight European nations as part of his pressure campaign to acquire Greenland.
Trump’s announcement came after those countries deployed troops to the icy island in an apparent show of support for Denmark retaining control over it.
But numerous GOP lawmakers are squeamish that the US is clashing with its NATO ally.
“Congress must reclaim tariff authorities. There’s a reason James Madison put tariff authorities under Article One,” wrote retiring Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.), who has been no stranger to criticizing Trump, on X.
Trump indicated on Truth Social that he intends to slap the 10% tariff on Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Finland starting Feb. 1.
He then plans to ramp those tariffs up further to 25% in June if the US doesn’t acquire Greenland by then.
But retiring Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) bemoaned on X, “This response to our own allies for sending a small number of troops to Greenland for training is bad for America, bad for American businesses, and bad for America’s allies.
“It’s great for [Vladimir] Putin, Xi [Jinping] and other adversaries who want to see NATO divided,” Tillis wrote.
“The fact that a small handful of ‘advisors’ are actively pushing for coercive action to seize territory of an ally is beyond stupid.”
The vowed new tariffs are likely to be implemented under America’s International Emergency Economic Powers Act, which is currently facing a review from the US Supreme Court.
“I think this is unconstitutional,” renegade Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) told NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday, referring to the method of Trump instituting such tariffs.
“The Constitution says taxes originate in the House, go to the Senate, and then go to the president for a signature. Sen. And it doesn’t say the president can just write up new taxes and threaten them any time he wishes.”
Even before Trump announced he would institute the new tariffs against the eight of America’s European allies, multiple GOP lawmakers such as Sens. James Lankford of Oklahoma, Susan Collins of Maine, Jerry Moran of Kansas, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and Paul expressed concerns about the president’s increasingly hot rhetoric on Greenland.
The president has declined to rule out the use of military force to take control of Greenland.
But a whopping 86% of Americans oppose the US using military force to take control of Greenland, compared to 14% who support it, according to a CBS News/YouGov survey.
Among Republicans, 70% disapprove of the use of military force to take Greenland, per the poll.
Critics such as Bacon have gone so far as to suggest they’d back impeaching Trump if he deploys military force to take Greenland.
Still, 64% of Republican voters back the US purchasing Greenland from Denmark, which insists the territory is not for sale, according to the CBS News/YouGov survey.
Only 4% of Democrats and 25% of Independents would approve purchasing it.
Last week, Rep. Randy Fine (R-Fla.) rolled out legislation aimed at giving Trump the power to annex Greenland. Last year, Rep. Buddy Carter (R-Ga.) introduced a bill to authorize Trump to negotiate for Greenland and rename it “Red White and Blueland.”
Trump’s allies have raised concerns about adversaries of the US, namely Russia, building up a significant presence in the Arctic and underscored the need to counter that by taking over Greenland.
Trump has been particularly keen on placing assets in Greenland for his vaunted, space-based Golden Dome missile defense system.
The president has argued it’s unfair for the US to invest so much militarily in Greenland as part of that defense strategy without owning it.
“Greenland is essential to US national security. We’re building the Golden Dome,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday. “President Trump is looking beyond next year to what could happen for a battle in the Arctic.
“America has to be in control here.”