Republican senator for North Carolina, Thom Tillis, took aim at the latest upsets in the Trump Administration on Wednesday. In a speech on the Senate floor, Tillis criticized comments made by U.S. President Donald Trump regarding annexing or buying Greenland and making it part of the U.S. “I’m sick of stupid,” Tillis said.
Tillis asserted that the concern around Trump’s remarks was only “a distraction from the good work he’s doing.” He said that the people who told the President that those statements were a good idea were amateurs and that they should be fired.
Who has the right
Members of the Trump administration such as political advisor Stephen Miller have also spoken on the Greenland issue recently. Miller publicly questioned Denmark’s claim to Greenland. In an interview, Miller said that Denmark had no basis to claim Greenland as part of their country.
Historically, Greenland has been associated with Denmark for over one thousand years. Travelers from what would one day become Denmark were among the first Europeans to settle the island. Greenland was a colony of Denmark from the year 1814 until 1953 when it officially became a part of the country.
In response to Miller’s comments, which were among those that Tillis said made him “cranky” due to their stupidity. He said that statements regarding Greenland this week only distracted from other actions, such as the recent U.S. capture of the Venezuelan President and his wife.
In addition to the Greenland issue, Tillis also discussed the NATO alliance. The U.S. is part of the NATO alliance, as is Denmark. He reminded senators that following 9/11, Denmark was one of the highest contributors to the war in Afghanistan.
Both Denmark, the country to which Greenland belongs, and Greenland have issued statements condemning Trump’s apparent desire to take control of Greenland. Denmark has even issued updated national flags and made additional efforts to emphasize Greenland as a part of the country.
The conflict between Denmark and the United States has prompted multiple official statements from both countries. Tillis is not the first senator to speak on the topic. In the wake of the U.S. military exercise in Venezuela which has resulted in the capture of the Venezuelan president, his wife, and at least one oil tanker, people have voiced their concern that Trump may try to make good on his desire to join Greenland to the U.S.
