Episode summary
Senior Republicans Oppose US Military Incursion in Greenland
Bloomberg Surveillance
· · 7 min · Guests: Wendy Schiller
Summary
Wendy Schiller argues that the Trump administration’s pressure campaign in Venezuela is legally and politically different from talk of acquiring Greenland by force. On Venezuela, she says the president is operating within the bounds of presidential power, even if he is pushing the edges of the War Powers Act. On Greenland, she says Republicans in Congress are already signaling resistance because a military seizure of sovereign territory from a NATO ally would be unconstitutional, strategically reckless, and hard to defend to voters.
She says any real acquisition of Greenland would require Congress and, if handled as a treaty, Senate approval, so the White House cannot simply stage a symbolic signing and expect it to stand. She also argues Republicans are vulnerable politically because they are trying to justify a broad foreign-policy agenda without a clear endgame for voters, especially heading toward 2026.
The discussion also turns to the ICE shooting in Minneapolis, which Schiller says could reinforce broader concerns about overreach. She notes that most Americans disapprove of ICE tactics and that the issue may energize resistance to federal force, even if Trump’s core base remains loyal.
Key takeaways
- Schiller says Venezuela is still inside presidential power, but Greenland would be a separate constitutional fight that likely needs Senate approval.
- She says prominent Republican senators are already distancing themselves from any military move on Greenland.
- Schiller argues the White House has not given voters a clear political or strategic case for Greenland or Venezuela.
- She says the Minneapolis ICE shooting could widen backlash to federal overreach, especially because 63% or so disapprove of ICE tactics.
- According to Schiller, Trump’s strongest lever over Congress is still the threat of a primary challenge.
Notable quotes
“The president seems to find ways of exercising presidential power without following the law”
“Greenland's totally different. And you're seeing Republican senators jump, you know, really get out there very quickly and say, we're not buying Greenland”
“We don't need Greenland. This doesn't seem to be what we should be focusing on”
“Presidents need the Senate to approve treaties. That's the rule that's in the Constitution”
“We know that the vast majority of Americans or the vast majority, 63% or so, disapprove of ICE tactics”
How the episode opens
Well, Tom and Paul and we say he is Steven Miller is one of his chief domestic advisers said, yeah, they want to buy Greenland, they want to control Greenland somehow. And if they want to do that, at least the most famous precedent would indicate they need Congress's permission in a vote to authorize using US dollars to do that. Is that a Louisiana purchase?
It is a Louisiana Purchase. We're going to buy a major territory now. You know, a lot of people don't know the scope of Louisiana Purchase, how much land that was and why it was so important, you know, to go west and sort of opening that entire gateway and really solidifying, I think, U.S.
expansion. So it's really going to have to be a justification when, again, people are worried about things at home. The president seems to be focusing, with some exceptions, on matters abroad.
Wendy, should we be surprised that Congress is giving the president a fair amount of leeway here on these international efforts in Venezuela, maybe Greenland, maybe some other areas? Should Congress be taking a larger role here? Well, you know, on Venezuela, you know, the president had states can take military action without talking to Congress, without telling Congress for some limited period of time.
And, you know, the technicalities of the War Powers Act is really boots on the ground, troops that are going to be there about 45 days. Then you have to ask permission again for 45 days. Then you need an authorization of military force like we had in Iraq.
That's the rule. That's the law. The president seems to find ways of exercising presidential power without following the law.
But right now he is within the bounds of presidential power in Venezuela.
From the episode’s captions: roughly the first two minutes, lightly cleaned. Keep watching on YouTube →
Topics
- greenland acquisition
- u.s. military incursion
- venezuelan oil blockade
- minneapolis ice shooting
- nato alliance policy
Watch the episode
Watch “Senior Republicans Oppose US Military Incursion in Greenland” on YouTube
Summary, takeaways and quote selection by Octagon. Quotes are short excerpts; the full conversation is in the episode.
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