Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) said Wednesday he would “lean” toward impeaching President Trump if the U.S. invades Greenland, calling the idea “utter buffoonery” and a “disastrous” threat to alliances.
In an interview with the Omaha World-Herald, Bacon warned that Trump’s escalating rhetoric about taking the semi-autonomous Danish territory could fracture Republican support and end his presidency.
“I’ll be candid with you: There’s so many Republicans mad about this,” Bacon said. “If he went through with the threats, I think it would be the end of his presidency. And he needs to know: The off-ramp is realizing Republicans aren’t going to tolerate this and he’s going to have to back off.”
Bacon declined to commit definitively but indicated strong inclination toward impeachment if military action occurred.
“I don’t want to give you a definite yes or no, but I would lean that way,” he said. “It would be a total mistake to invade an ally. It would be catastrophic to our allies and everything. It’s just the worst idea ever in my view.”
The Nebraska Republican, who is retiring at the end of his term, described Trump’s approach as absurd.
“It’s ridiculous that this has to even be done,” Bacon said. “But when the president talks about taking Greenland one way or the other way every day this last week or so and that it’s unacceptable if Greenland refuses to be part of the United States, I felt like I needed to make a statement that Republicans disagree.”
“It’s utter buffoonery to think that we should compel Greenland to be part of the United States,” he added.
Bacon’s criticism intensified amid Trump’s repeated public statements, including a Truth Social post declaring the U.S. “needs Greenland for the purpose of national security” and that “anything less than that is unacceptable.”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt earlier called acquiring Greenland a “national security priority,” with military action as “always an option at the Commander-in-Chief’s disposal.”
Bacon condemned the bullying of allies.
“You don’t treat allies that way. You do that with Russia or China, Iran, but c,” he said. “That’s what he’s doing. I think it’s totally wrong to treat your best friends like this and bully them.”
Greenland, rich in natural resources and home to a U.S. Space Force base, has longstanding ties with Washington dating to World War II. The 1941 Defense of Greenland Treaty allowed U.S. bases, later formalized in the 1951 Defense Agreement with Denmark. Greenland and Danish officials have firmly rejected any takeover, insisting the matter is theirs alone to decide.
Eyewitness reports a local resident in Greenland have provided real-time glimpses into the arrivals. Orla Joelsen, a Greenland patriot known for sharing updates online, posted videos showing Danish Hercules aircraft landing in Nuuk and Kangerlussuaq late Wednesday evening under near-freezing conditions of -1°C.
Other Republicans echoed Bacon’s concerns about potential military force.
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) said any “taking of a sovereign territory that is part of a sovereign nation” would face “pretty substantial opposition in Congress.”
“Right now, people are trying to be deferential, but this is just an example of, whoever keeps on telling the president that this idea is achievable should not be in Washington, D.C.,” Tillis added.
Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine) stated: “I do not support the president’s plan to annex Greenland by either force or by buying it over the opposition of people in Greenland and Denmark, a NATO ally.”
Collins noted Greenland might support expanded U.S. military presence through diplomacy, “not through threats and intimidation.”
Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) was blunt: “Greenland, the Danes are allies. We cannot do military action in Greenland. Should not, cannot.”
Bacon, who voted against impeaching Trump twice in his first term, joined House Democrats earlier this month to introduce the No Funds for NATO Invasion Act. The bipartisan bill prohibits federal funds for invading any NATO member state or NATO-protected territory, such as Greenland, and bars U.S. officials from executing such actions.
“I think it should be unnecessary,” Bacon said of the legislation. “It’s ridiculous that this has to even be done.”
His stance highlights growing GOP unease with Trump’s Greenland push, as lawmakers stress that alliances and diplomacy—not coercion—should guide U.S. policy toward a key NATO partner.
