GOP Rep Don Bacon warns Trump that Greenland invasion could trigger impeachment
WASHINGTON, DC: Rep Don Bacon (R-NE) issued one of the strongest Republican warnings yet against President Donald Trump's repeated musings about taking control of Greenland, saying that a military invasion would likely prompt impeachment and spell the end of Trump’s presidency.
In an interview with the 'Omaha World-Herald' on Thursday, January 15, Bacon said that he would personally “lean toward” voting to impeach Trump if the president followed through on threats to use force to seize the Arctic territory, which is an autonomous part of Denmark.
“I’ll be candid with you,” Bacon said. “There’s so many Republicans mad about this. If he went through with the threats, I think it would be the end of his presidency.”
GOP unease grows as Trump escalates rhetoric
Bacon, a former Air Force general who represents a competitive swing district, has frequently broken with Trump and the MAGA wing of the Republican Party, particularly on national security and foreign policy issues.
His criticism has grown sharper since he announced plans to leave Congress at the end of the current term.
Bacon’s comments reflected broader unease among establishment Republicans who viewed the idea of forcibly acquiring Greenland as reckless and destabilizing.
The White House has threatened our Ally everyday this week. Greenland and Denmark are our Allies. We should take their comments seriously. Any attack on our Ally will be catastrophic and disastrous… Congress will not tolerate it. And, it will be bipartisan. https://t.co/3G7fhxGN6L
— Don Bacon 🇺🇸 🥓 ✈️ 🏍️ ⭐️ 🎖️ (@DonJBacon) January 15, 2026
While Trump has floated the idea of acquiring the strategically located island before, recent remarks have reignited fears that the administration could pursue military options.
According to Bacon, frustration with Trump’s Greenland rhetoric is widespread within GOP ranks, even if many lawmakers are reluctant to speak publicly.
“If this were to become real policy,” Bacon suggested, it would fracture Republican unity and provoke swift backlash on Capitol Hill.
Mitch McConnell calls Greenland move ‘strategic self-harm’
That backlash is already beginning to surface. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), another Republican who has increasingly distanced himself from Trump, took to the Senate floor on Wednesday to denounce the idea of a Greenland takeover in stark terms.
“It’s about whether the United States intends to face a constellation of strategic adversaries with capable friends or commit an unprecedented act of strategic self-harm and go it alone,” McConnell said.
He warned that pursuing such a move would severely damage US alliances and international credibility, adding that “following through on this provocation would be more disastrous for the president’s legacy than withdrawing from Afghanistan was for his predecessor.”
McConnell raised concerns that a Greenland incursion could strain relations with NATO allies, particularly Denmark, and hand geopolitical advantages to US rivals.
Public opinion overwhelmingly opposed on Greenland takeover
The American public appears just as resistant to the idea. A new Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Wednesday found that only 4% of Americans supported a military takeover of Greenland, highlighting near-universal opposition across party lines.
The polling added to the political risks Trump would face if he pursued aggressive action, reinforcing Bacon’s warning that impeachment could quickly come into play.
