NEWS: Trump Threatens Possible Conflict Over Greenland as Republican Warns it Could End his Presidency
By Aaron Parnas•January 19, 2026•7 min read•Trump AdministrationForeign Policy
Good morning everyone. This is already shaping up to be an extremely consequential morning. Donald Trump is openly threatening conflict over Greenland after being denied the Nobel Peace Prize, with at least one Republican warning that such a move could end his presidency. At the same time, he has invited Vladimir Putin to join his so-called Gaza “Board of Peace,” even as Putin continues his war in Ukraine. Meanwhile, the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division is redirecting its mission toward protecting white Americans from what it calls “reverse discrimination.”
This week will only accelerate. Tomorrow, the Supreme Court is set to release new opinions. On Thursday, Jack Smith will testify publicly for the first time. Trump is also in Europe for a critical economic conference with major global implications. Every one of these developments matters, and they are unfolding fast.
I will be covering all of it in real time, around the clock. I am deeply proud of what we are building together, and I am committed to reporting this carefully, independently, and without fear.
Overnight we learned that Donald Trump sent an ominous letter to Norway suggesting war could be on the table over Greenland as he is upset that Norway did not award him the Nobel Prize.
One Republican, Rep. Don Bacon, says that such an action would spell the end of the Trump Presidency:
Another Republican, Senator Thom Tillis, lashed out on the Senate floor into the Trump Administration for abandoning Congress as a co-equal branch of government over the Greenland threats:
The Department of Justice has violated the Epstein Files Transparency Act for 31 days in a row now. In 2026, the public has not seen a single Epstein file, whether redacted or unredacted.
The Kremlin says Vladimir Putin has been invited to join Donald Trump’s proposed “board of peace” for overseeing a Gaza ceasefire—an unconfirmed move that raises questions about the board’s purpose and reinforces criticism that Trump is favourably disposed toward Russia despite Putin continuing the war in Ukraine.
Republican Rep. Michael McCaul warned that any U.S. military invasion of Greenland would effectively mean war with NATO, arguing it would trigger the alliance’s mutual defense clause, while lawmakers from both parties criticized President Trump’s push as unnecessary, destabilizing, and driven more by resources than genuine security concerns.
Republican Sensators Thom Tillis and Lisa Murkowski warned that President Trump’s proposed tariffs on Denmark and other European allies over Greenland would harm U.S. businesses and fracture NATO, arguing the measures play into Russia’s and China’s hands and risk undermining long-standing alliances without improving U.S. national security.
A 36-year-old Nicaraguan man arrested by ICE in Minneapolis died in federal custody in Texas in an apparent suicide, marking one of at least 15 deaths in ICE detention last year as the agency’s detainee population has surged to record levels amid the Trump administration’s expanded deportation crackdown.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara sharply criticized ICE tactics after video showed agents pulling a disabled U.S. citizen from her car, warning that the Trump administration’s massive immigration crackdown has escalated tensions, swept up American citizens, and risks triggering another citywide crisis similar to the unrest following George Floyd’s killing.
A new CBS News/YouGov poll finds a growing number of Americans now say ICE is being too tough and making communities less safe, with support for President Trump’s deportation program dropping to its lowest point of his second term after events in Minneapolis, even as Republicans continue to back the policy and blame protesters for escalating tensions.
European leaders strongly condemned President Donald Trump’s threat to impose tariffs on multiple EU countries and allies unless they accept a U.S. takeover of Greenland, prompting emergency EU talks on possible retaliation, including counter-tariffs on up to €93 billion of U.S. goods and use of the bloc’s powerful anti-coercion instrument, while stressing unity behind Denmark and warning the move could severely damage NATO and transatlantic relations.
CBS News has confirmed that the Trump administration has redirected the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division toward pursuing claims of so-called “reverse discrimination,” targeting affirmative action and DEI programs, a shift critics say overturns decades of civil rights enforcement, has prompted thousands of DOJ departures, and reflects the president’s view that civil rights laws now unfairly disadvantage White Americans.
The U.S. Justice Department said it will not investigate the fatal shooting of Renee Good by an ICE agent in Minneapolis, despite multiple videos and public outrage, drawing sharp contrast to the 2020 federal investigation into George Floyd’s killing and fueling criticism that the Trump administration is shielding federal officers while politicizing civil-rights enforcement.
According to Politico, the acting head of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) attempted to force out the agency’s chief information officer, Robert Costello, but was blocked after senior DHS political appointees objected, deepening internal turmoil as staff raised concerns about leadership decisions, workforce cuts that have driven out about a third of CISA employees, and fears of instability at the nation’s civilian cyber defense agency.
Federal courts delivered a major setback to President Trump’s campaign against offshore wind, allowing construction to resume on several large projects after judges rejected the administration’s claims that the developments pose national security risks, ruling that the government failed to justify stop-work orders despite billions already invested.
Iran warned that any attack on Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei would amount to a declaration of war, after President Masoud Pezeshkian responded to speculation that Donald Trump was considering removing or assassinating him, amid mass anti-government protests that have killed thousands, triggered a severe security crackdown, drawn U.S. encouragement, and raised fears of imminent military confrontation before Washington ultimately pulled back from planned strikes.
President Trump publicly backed Rep. Julia Letlow as a potential challenger to Sen. Bill Cassidy in Louisiana, issuing a preemptive endorsement despite her not declaring a run, signaling renewed pressure on Republicans who opposed him, including Cassidy for his 2021 impeachment vote.
At least 21 people were killed and dozens injured when a high-speed train derailed and crossed onto the opposite track, colliding with another passenger train near Córdoba in southern Spain; rescue operations are complete and the cause is under investigation.
Wildfires fueled by extreme heat and strong winds killed at least 18 people in central and southern Chile, destroying homes, forcing tens of thousands to evacuate, and prompting the government to declare a state of catastrophe as the death toll is expected to rise.
Good news:
French sailor Charlie Dalin, who raced while battling cancer, was named World Sailor of the Year after winning the grueling Vendée Globe solo round-the-world race in record time, completing the feat despite ongoing treatment and later undergoing surgery.
A 66-year-old New Zealand hiker, Graham Garnett, was found alive in Kahurangi National Park more than two weeks after going missing, having survived alone in rugged backcountry terrain and been discovered sheltering in a hut by contractors just days after authorities ended the official search, before he was taken to hospital and reunited with his family.
A tiny “pouch-cam” at Chester Zoo captured rare footage of an endangered Goodfellow’s tree kangaroo joey developing inside its mother, marking a major conservation milestone from an international breeding program and providing new scientific insight into the early life of one of the world’s most threatened marsupials.
