Republican lawmakers are escalating their resistance to President Donald Trump’s repeated threats to take control of Greenland, signaling one of the sharpest internal party rifts of his second term as concerns grow over diplomacy, legality, and alliance stability.
As Trump has continued to suggest that the United States could acquire the semiautonomous Danish territory by force if necessary, opposition has widened within Congress, with Republicans increasingly willing to speak publicly and engage allies directly to distance themselves from the rhetoric.
The pushback comes as Democrats prepare a series of war powers measures aimed at forcing Congress to weigh in should the administration move toward military action, raising the prospect of bipartisan confrontation over presidential authority.
Several Republican senators and representatives have warned that any move resembling an imminent military operation would trigger swift congressional resistance, including binding votes under the War Powers Resolution.
Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina said that if preparations suggested an illegal seizure of Greenland, there would be sufficient support to pass a resolution and override a presidential veto.
Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska has been among the most outspoken critics, calling the idea of invading Greenland “the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard” and suggesting such an action could prompt impeachment proceedings.
Other Republicans, including Sens. Susan Collins, James Lankford, and Lisa Murkowski, have stressed that Greenland and Denmark are NATO allies and that disputes must be handled through diplomacy rather than coercion.
Murkowski, a co-founder of the Senate Arctic Caucus, said Greenland should be treated as a partner rather than an asset, reflecting a broader effort by lawmakers to reassure Copenhagen and Greenlandic leaders.
A bipartisan delegation of House and Senate members traveled to Copenhagen to convey directly that Congress does not support military action, even as party leaders acknowledged the limited tools available to preemptively restrain the president.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said there is little appetite on Capitol Hill for the options being discussed, an apparent reference to the use of force.
Republicans have also introduced legislation and nonbinding resolutions affirming respect for Danish and Greenlandic sovereignty and requiring congressional authorization for any military action involving NATO territory.
Despite the intensifying criticism, several lawmakers said they remain reluctant to advance war powers resolutions absent clear evidence of imminent action, arguing that doing so could legitimize threats they hope will fade.