CNN's Maggie Haberman warns Trump is more 'emboldened' than ever in unmatched display of power

WASHINGTON, DC: CNN commentator Maggie Haberman offered a grim warning about President Donald Trump and said that the POTUS is "emboldened in a way I don’t think we’ve ever seen before."

Haberman appeared on Friday's, January 9 episode of 'The Lead', where CNN host Jake Tapper aired remarks by Trump, who claimed Trump is totally unchecked in the international arena, except by "my own morality".

Maggie Haberman says we are clearly seeing Trump 'flex his powers'

A New York Times reporter asked Donald Trump, "Do you see any checks on your power on the world stage? Is there anything that could stop you if you wanted to?"

"Yeah, there’s one thing. My own morality, my own mind. It’s the only thing that can stop it. And that’s very good. I don’t need international law. I’m not looking to hurt people," the POTUS said.

Trump's comment came days after he ordered an invasion of Venezuela to capture President Nicolas Maduro. The POTUS has also repeatedly insisted that the US will take Greenland "whether they like it or not."

Talking about Trump's claim, Tapper said, "It’s quite a view of the president’s view of his powers."

Meanwhile, Haberman replied, "And I think we’re seeing it on display over and over, which is that essentially, you’ve seen this administration say that courts that try to stop him are illegitimate authorities or usurping his power."

She added, "We are clearly seeing him flex, and he is emboldened in a way I don’t think we’ve ever seen before. But where that leads remains to be seen."

Tapper also noted Trump’s obsession with Greenland and asked Haberman, "Do you think that they’re really gonna try to take Greenland?" 

"I think they are going to try to continue talking about this. I think 'take', meaning, as in military force, I would be quite surprised. Also, we have a base in Greenland. We have troops there already," Haberman replied.

Tapper chimed in and said, "And we have the potential for unlimited bases in Greenland", as Haberman replied, "Correct. And there are ways to negotiate this. What is bothering European officials is that this is coming in the form of a threat, and coming in the form of, 'This is what I want, and I’m going to grab it'. I don’t know that it would be feasible for the US to buy Greenland, although that was a discussion last year. But again, we will see."

Mike Johnson claims WH pursuing 'diplomatic channels' on Greenland

House Speaker Mike Johnson said on Wednesday, January 7, that the White House is pursuing diplomatic channels rather than military force in its efforts to acquire Greenland, as concerns mount at home and abroad over Trump’s renewed focus on the Danish territory.

He told reporters when asked whether he had raised objections directly with Trump, "I don’t think anybody’s talking about using military force in Greenland", adding, "They’re looking at diplomatic channels." 

The House Speaker's comments seemed aimed at tamping down the controversy sparked by the White House a day earlier. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the POTUS' team was discussing "a range of options" to acquire Greenland, and added that "utilizing the US military is always an option at the Commander in Chief’s disposal."

"The US always has military options for everything. I think it’s a general statement. I think with Greenland, it’s very clear that we are working on diplomatic channels," Johnson said.