Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) introduced legislation Tuesday aimed at limiting President Donald Trump’s ability to use military force regarding Greenland, following comments from Trump and senior administration officials highlighting the island’s strategic importance to U.S. national security.
Gallego announced the legislative effort on X, arguing that Congress must act to restrain the president “before he invades another country on a whim.” The proposal is part of a broader push by congressional Democrats to restrict Trump’s authority on foreign military action following the recent capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.
In a statement, Gallego framed the issue as a political distraction rather than a security concern.
“Families are getting crushed by rising grocery and housing costs, inflation is up, and Trump’s name is all over the Epstein files,” Gallego said. “Instead of doing anything to fix those problems, Trump is trying to distract people by threatening to start wars and invade countries — first in Venezuela, and now against our NATO ally Denmark.”
He added that recent events demonstrate why Congress must intervene.
“What’s happening in Venezuela shows us that we can’t just ignore Trump’s reckless threats,” Gallego said. “His dangerous behavior puts American lives and our global credibility at risk. I’m introducing this amendment to make it clear that Congress will not bankroll illegal, unnecessary military action, and to force Republicans to choose whether they’re going to finally stand up or keep enabling Trump’s chaos.”
President Trump, speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One over the weekend, said the United States needs Greenland — a territory controlled by Denmark — for “national security” reasons, citing the Arctic region’s growing strategic importance.
White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller reinforced that position Monday during an interview with CNN, stating that Greenland “should be part of the United States.”
CNN anchor Jake Tapper pressed Miller on whether the administration could rule out military action to secure the Arctic island.
“Greenland has a population of 30,000 people,” Miller said. “The real question is: by what right does Denmark assert control over Greenland? What is the basis of their territorial claim? What is their basis for having Greenland as a colony of Denmark?”
Miller argued that U.S. leadership within NATO and the need to secure the Arctic justify reevaluating Greenland’s status.
“The United States is the power of NATO,” he said. “For the United States to secure the Arctic region, to protect and defend NATO and NATO interests, obviously Greenland should be part of the United States.”
Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen responded Monday in a Facebook statement, saying the territory is “not an object of superpower rhetoric.”
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen also weighed in, warning that any U.S. takeover of Greenland would effectively undermine NATO.
