Jeffries: ‘Confused’ by Trump’s ‘obsession’ with Greenland

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (DN.Y.) slammed President-elect Trump on Wednesday for what he called an “obsession” with a U.S. takeover of Greenland, accusing Trump of fixating on an issue of no consequence to the American working class.

Speaking to reporters on Capitol Hill, Jeffries noted that Trump’s election victory in November was largely a referendum on the high cost of certain consumer staples, not the annexation of Greenland or the Panama Canal. as Trump proposed earlier in the week.

“What about the presidential election in November that had anything to do with the invasion of Greenland or the taking of it by force? I’m confused by the obsession with these comments,” Jeffries said.

“For too long, the size of the middle class in this country has gone down, but the cost of living has gone up. That’s a problem,” he continued. “The problem is not Greenland; the problem is not the Gulf of Mexico and the need to rename it; and the problem is not the Panama Canal. It’s making sure that the American dream comes to life for everyone in this nation.”

For years, Trump has floated the idea that Washington should dominate Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory controlled by Denmark, and he amplified that proposal Tuesday during a news conference at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. he did it does not rule out the use of military force.

“We need Greenland for national security purposes. I’ve been told that for a long time, long before I even ran,” Trump said. “You have roughly 45,000 people there. People really don’t even know if Denmark has any legal right to it, but if they do, they should give it up because we need it for national security.”

The world’s largest island, Greenland, is home to rich stores of mineral reserves, including rare earth minerals used in the production of popular consumer products such as smartphones, flat-screen televisions and rechargeable batteries. Greenland’s location has also strategically made it a military outpost for the world’s most powerful countries, including China and Russia.

“I’m talking about protecting the free world,” Trump said.

The idea appears to have some support among Republicans on Capitol Hill, where leaders of the House Foreign Affairs Committee promoted a chartfrom the New York Post advocating for Trump’s “America First vision” for the hemisphere. Greenland, according to the Post’s rendering, has been crossed out and replaced by “OURLAND.”

The proposal was quickly dismissed by top officials of the Biden administration, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who said Trump’s proposal “obviously … is not going to happen.”

John Bolton, who served as national security adviser under the first Trump administration, also criticized the proposal, warning that it would only help America’s main adversaries in Moscow and Beijing.

“If you’re the prime minister of Denmark, your NATO ally refuses to say it won’t attack your territory.” Bolton told CNNon wednesday

Jeffries, meanwhile, declined to venture into the national security implications of Trump’s stance on Greenland. Instead, he wondered why Trump, after campaigning hard on promises to lower inflation and cut consumer costs, is now focusing on dark foreign policy proposals.

“What does it have to do with making sure hard-working American taxpayers can live the American dream?” Jeffries asked.

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