Former national security adviser John Bolton said Monday that there would be an American “political earthquake” if President Trump uses military force in Greenland.
“I think, even within the Republican Party, I see a lot of increased dissent over this. And I think if Trump actually used military force against Greenland, there’d be a political earthquake in the United States,” Bolton told CNN’s Jim Sciutto on Monday evening.
Bolton also said, “On a good day, Trump is indifferent to NATO” as Trump ruffles feathers with other members of the organization over his Greenland acquisition quest.
“He said, again, publicly, within the past couple of weeks, this may be a choice … between Greenland and NATO,” he added.
Throughout Trump’s second term, he has strained relationships with allies and enemies alike through his foreign policy moves. The president has long had his sights on Greenland but has ramped up the pressure on his push to acquire the Arctic island in recent weeks. Greenland is a territory of Denmark, a longtime NATO ally of the U.S.
Trump on Monday did not dismiss the idea of using force to take over Greenland, NBC News reported.
On Tuesday, Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) said the Trump administration shouldn’t be thinking about military force for a Greenland acquisition.
“If there was an opportunity to negotiate a sale, as in the past, with Alaska or the Louisiana Purchase, this is not a new concept. Great. But the use of military force, in my opinion, should be off the table,” Lawler said on CNN’s “The Situation Room.”
