Tariffs against our closest allies were announced in a 445-word social media post.
President Donald Trump announced new tariffs on eight European countries on Saturday, until “a Deal is reached for the Complete and Total purchase of Greenland.”
The president shared his latest scheme to force the U.S. takeover of Greenland, which is a semiautonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark, in a post on Truth Social.
Trump, 79, reiterated his previous claim that Greenland was necessary to the U.S. to protect the territory because “China and Russia want Greenland.” Trump declared a 10% tariff on all goods imported from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Finland starting on Feb. 1.
“On top of everything else, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Finland have journeyed to Greenland, for purposes unknown,” the president continued, referring to the European nations’ decision to send troops to the world’s largest island this week.
“This is a very dangerous situation for the Safety, Security, and Survival of our Planet,” Trump continued. “These Countries, who are playing this very dangerous game, have put a level of risk in play that is not tenable or sustainable. Therefore, it is imperative that, in order to protect Global Peace and Security, strong measures be taken so that this potentially perilous situation end quickly, and without question.”
Trump’s post continued, with references to world peace and “The Golden Dome,” a proposed multi-layer missile defense system over the United States, similar to Israel’s notorious Iron Dome. He has previously indicated that he needs control of Greenland in order to execute the shield.
Trump wrote that tariffs on goods from those countries would increase to 25% on June 1, 2026. The tariffs will remain in place until the U.S. has Greenland, the president warned. He also claimed that the United States has “subsidized” Denmark and the other European countries “for too long.”
This news comes after Trump crowned himself “The Tariff King” after threatening to impose new duties on countries that do not support his quest for Greenland.
On Jan. 14, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen, who served two separate terms as Denmark’s prime minister, told Fox News Host Bret Baier that he did not think the U.S. would use military force to take over Greenland. “At least I do not hope so, because, I mean, that will be the end of NATO,” Rasmussen said on the show.
The foreign minister and Greenland’s Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt also made a joint statement regarding Trump’s repeated comments about seizing Greenland “by any means necessary” that same day. Rasmussen said that it was “clear that the president has this wish of conquering over Greenland,” and that a “fundamental disagreement” remained.
Rasmussen made the comments after he and Motsfefeldt met with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio to discuss the issue.
On Saturday, hours before Trump made his Truth Social tariffs announcement, thousands marched in Copenhagen, Denmark, in a protest against Trump’s Greenland aspirations. Others rallied at similar protests in other Danish cities and in Greenland’s capital, Nuuk.
The Daily Beast reached out to the White House for comment.
