GREENLAND BLOWBACK: International leaders, Democrats and some Republicans are slamming the president’s letter to Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre tying the Nobel committee’s decision not to award him the 2025 peace prize to his ongoing push for the U.S. to acquire Greenland.
Trump in the letter questioned why Denmark has a “right of ownership” over the mineral-rich island territory. The letter was shared with multiple European ambassadors.
“Dear Jonas: Considering your Country decided not to give me the Nobel Peace Prize for having stopped 8 Wars PLUS, I no longer feel an obligation to think purely of Peace, although it will always be predominant, but can now think about what is good and proper for the United States of America,” Trump said, according to NewsNation, The Hill’s partner outlet.
Democrats denounced Trump’s comments. Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) called the letter the “ramblings of a man who has lost touch with reality” and Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) said the U.S. is becoming the “enemy of the free world because a pathetic man got his feelings hurt.”
Some Republicans who are more willing to criticize Trump also chimed in.
Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) called the letter “very embarrassing conduct.”
Former Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger (Ill.), a sharp critic of Trump, said on the social platform X that the time has come to “move Gramps into a home” and let the “adults govern again.”
The physician to the late former Vice President Dick Cheney called for a congressional inquiry into Trump’s fitness for office in light of the letter.
Trump openly campaigned to receive the peace prize throughout last year, but the Nobel committee awarded it to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado instead.
Machado gave her prize to Trump when the two met at the White House last week, though the Nobel committee has said the award can’t be formally transferred.
Støre clarified in a statement to Bloomberg that the Norwegian government doesn’t award the Nobel Prizes.
Trump told reporters late Monday that he doesn't care about the prize but rejected the idea that Norway doesn't control the board.
"A very fine woman felt that I deserved it and really wanted me to have the Nobel Prize," he said. "If anybody doesn't think that Norway doesn't control the Nobel Prize, they're just getting — they have a board, but it's controlled by Norway."
Trump also said he doesn't expect pushback over Greenland from European leaders heading into the World Economic Forum this week in Switzerland.
"We have to have it. They have to have this done. They can't protect it," he said.
Trump was active on Truth Social overnight, posting multiple notes from foreign leaders, including NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and French President Emmanuel Macron.
Macron said he and Trump are in line on Syria and can "do great things" in Iran but questioned his intentions in Greenland, according to the Trump-posted message. He offered to meet with Trump in Davos and for the two to have dinner in Paris before Trump returns to the U.S.
Rutte, meanwhile, said he would use his media engagements to highlight Trump's work in Syria, Gaza and Ukraine and is committed to "finding a way forward" on Greenland, according to the message posted overnight.
The president also posted a mock image showing Canada, Venezuela and Greenland as part of the U.S.
Trump has ramped up his rhetoric about the U.S. acquiring Greenland in recent weeks, refusing to rule out taking it by force. He threatened several European countries, including Denmark and Norway, with a 10 percent tariff beginning Feb. 1 if Greenland isn’t ceded to the U.S.
Those tariffs would rise to 25 percent if a deal still hasn’t happened by June 1.
International officials have taken Trump’s threats seriously and have rejected the idea of the U.S. taking Greenland.
The NATO secretary-general met with Danish and Greenlandic officials Monday to discuss “collective security,” while European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen met with members of Congress to discuss various issues, including Trump’s rhetoric on the subject.
On Monday, amid rising tensions in the region, the Colorado-based North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) clarified that activities it is conducting at Pituffik Space Base in Greenland have been long-planned and coordinated with Denmark. NORAD noted that the government of Greenland was also aware of the activities.
▪ The New York Times: Trump pushing U.S.-European alliance to the brink.
▪ MS NOW: Dems’ strategy on Trump’s Greenland threats.
SHUTDOWN WATCH: Lawmakers have two weeks left to avoid a partial government shutdown but face a contentious battle over funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Congress has passed six of the 12 appropriations bills needed to fund the government before funding runs out Jan. 30. The House has approved an additional two-bill package to fund the State and Treasury departments, which the Senate will take up when it returns next week.
But that leaves four bills for the House to clear, and the one for DHS is expected to be heated as critics push back over ICE’s tactics. Some Democrats have signaled they wouldn’t support a bill to fund the department without reforms requiring tougher oversight of ICE.
Lawmakers could pass another continuing resolution to fund the government until they can reach a deal and stave off the second shutdown in just a few months. But timing is tight, as the Senate is out of town this week and the House will be out next week, The Hill’s Sudiksha Kochi reports.
▪ The Hill: Senate GOP’s relations with Trump strained.
▪ The Hill: House GOP culture of rebellion endangers agenda.
CASSIDY PLOWS ON: Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy (R) is vowing to continue with his reelection bid but is facing the toughest challenge to his political career after Trump weighed in to encourage a primary opponent to run against him.
Trump backed Rep. Julia Letlow (R-La.) for the seat in a post on Truth Social over the weekend, calling her a “total winner” and saying she would continue to deliver for Louisiana in the Senate as she has in the House. Letlow hasn’t announced a Senate candidacy but signaled after the endorsement that she may jump in the race.
“I’m honored to have President Trump’s endorsement and trust. My mission is clear: to ensure the nation our children inherit is safer and stronger,” she wrote in a post on X. “This United States Senate seat belongs to the people of Louisiana, because we deserve conservative leadership that will not waver.”
The endorsement comes years after Cassidy was one of a handful of Republicans who broke with their party to vote to convict Trump in his second impeachment trial for his conduct leading up to and during the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. Since then, Cassidy has toed a line between criticizing and defending Trump and his administration.
Despite having cast a key vote to confirm Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as secretary of Health and Human Services last year, Cassidy has become increasingly vocal criticizing Kennedy’s decisions in the role.
Cassidy already had picked up a few primary challengers, including state Treasurer John Fleming and state Sen. Blake Miguez. But Trump’s endorsement would be a critical boost for Letlow if she runs and would present an even larger obstacle for Cassidy, whose reelection chances already seemed in doubt.
Still, Cassidy expressed confidence in his ability to win.
“I’m proudly running for re-election as a principled conservative who gets things done for the people of Louisiana. If Congresswoman Letlow decides to run I am confident I will win,” he wrote on X.
Letlow has until Feb. 13 to file her candidacy if she wants to run.
▪ The Hill: Kennedy’s movement is wildcard for GOP in 2026.
▪ Axios: Elon Musk donates millions in race to succeed Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).
DOJ WEIGHS GUN POLICY SHIFT: The DOJ is considering loosening gun regulations as it tries to boost support from Second Amendment advocates, The Washington Post reports.
Some of the changes include easing restrictions on the private sale of guns and loosening regulations around shipping firearms, people familiar with the changes told the Post. Other changes could affect the types of firearms that can be imported and making licensing fees refundable.
The exact changes and the timing of the announcement are still being finalized, according to the report.
The Post reported the back-and-forth emphasizes the DOJ's challenges as it tries to satisfy members of Trump's base who believe the administration hasn't been strong enough in rolling back gun restrictions while also protecting the law enforcement abilities of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
