Alaska’s Sen. Lisa Murkowski is on a trip to Copenhagen along with a group of Congressional Democrats. They are there to reassure the Danes that the U.S. Congress will use political strategies to prevent President Trump from taking over Greenland. However, Murkowski is not our secretary of state, and no one else on the trip is either. By going there, she is interfering with the president’s foreign policy and may hinder whatever Trump is trying to accomplish.
I admit President Trump’s Greenland initiative is a bit of a puzzler. The president may really want to make Greenland part of the United States, or his comments may be a negotiating tactic for something else. I don’t know what the president’s goal is, and Lisa Murkowski doesn’t know either, but I am sure there is some purpose to his comments.
We can look at his tariff strategy to get some insight into how he negotiates deals. If you recall, early last year, the president believed our country was being taken advantage of by other countries around the world, which imposed one-sided tariffs on our goods entering their countries. The biggest culprit was China. He raised tariffs on China, and they responded with increased tariffs of their own. This went back and forth a few times, until tariffs on Chinese goods entering the US were up to 145%. The political pundits predicted this would destroy our economy and urged President Trump to reconsider. He didn’t blink, and the reality was that his aggressive action forced China to come to the negotiating table.
We eventually signed a fair trade deal with them, setting the current reciprocal tariff to 10%, with higher tariffs on certain intellectual property/technology items, and some agricultural goods exempted. This is probably what he wanted all along. The initial outrageous tariffs President Trump imposed were a negotiating tactic. His standard mode of operation is to ask for something shocking and then settle for the best deal he can get.
Perhaps she is tilting at windmills from a liberal sense of what is fair. Whatever the reason for her trip, Snow White and the ten Democrats need to remember their roles in our government.
This may be what is going on with Greenland. The president’s opening bid was to suggest that the U.S. take over the island. Considering that Denmark is a NATO member and the US pays the vast majority of the costs defending their country, including the defense of Greenland, maybe he is trying to get some benefit in return.
Russia or China may be cozying up to the Greenlanders to access their mineral resources, and the president might figure that if we have to defend them, then we should be the first in line to benefit. Perhaps he sees the strategic value of opening new military bases there and wants to negotiate to do so. Maybe he really does want to make Greenland part of the U.S. Nobody knows for sure, but whatever his objective is, Murkowski isn’t helping by meddling in the situation.
Unfortunately, when she goes to Denmark behind the president’s back, it undercuts the president’s negotiating position. Think of it this way. If you wanted to buy a house and your realtor leaked to the seller what price you were willing to pay, you wouldn’t get the best deal. This kind of unethical behavior is prohibited in the real estate profession. However, that is exactly what Lisa is doing over in Denmark: destroying the president’s leverage.
Our government has an official cabinet-level position responsible for international negotiations, which is the United States Secretary of State, a position currently held by Marco Rubio. That is not Lisa’s role as a member of the Senate. Perhaps her visit to Denmark is a way to get back at the president because she doesn’t like the man. Perhaps she is tilting at windmills from a liberal sense of what is fair. Whatever the reason for her trip, Snow White and the ten Democrats need to remember their roles in our government. Princess Lisa does not represent the people of Greenland; she is supposed to represent Alaska and is not doing that when she goes to Copenhagen. She needs to get back to Washington D.C. and start doing the job we pay her for.
The views expressed here are those of Greg Sarber. Read more Sarber posts at his Seward’s Folly substack.
25 Comments
The Trump Administration comments have been directly contrary to the US’s position documented in the NATO treaty which was negotiated under Administrative constitutional authority to to do so but treaties go a step further and are required to be ratified by Congress. His threat to violate the terms of the NATO treaty gives Congress every right to get involved!
Administrative constitutional authority refers to the power of administrative agencies to interpret and implement laws within the framework of the Constitution. This authority has evolved over time, with agencies playing a significant role in governance and regulation, often acting under the delegation of power from Congress. The President is the head of all administrative agencies! And no, Lisa is just a meddler with a self inflicted psychosis.
According to Trump he will be the head of everything – the Peace Council (the members are all enemies. The world does not need him.
It’s called the Chevron Doctrine and it’s why we have a bazillion laws governing our every move. The average citizen unknowingly commits three felonies a day. If The Man wants you, there is always a way. “Administrative constitutional authority” is not constitutional. It’s non elected bureaucrats making “law”. That’s fascism 101.
yes, yes and yes.
Lisa is not a diplomat, let alone part of the State Department. She needs to foot her own bill for this grand standing, not the taxpayers. She needs to be more concerned with doing her job, not someone else’s.
Maybe Lisa is soliciting campaign donations from Greenlanders. She sure wants to be President, doesn’t she? I wonder if the Senate’s medical plan covers self induced psychosis (Psychosis is a mental health condition characterized by a disconnection from reality) such as TDS?
Lisa needs to quit interfering in the President’s business. I thought she was a republican, not a democrat. And taking that many people (democrats) with her is wasting a lot of money!!!
Why is she with 10 Democrats flying to other places in the first place? She is disloyal to the Republican Party she represents. Someone needs to investigate this matter. Who is paying for this trip?
We need to be out of NATO and the WEF.
Very well stated, Greg. I sure hope that the repeal efforts of RCV will be successful this next time around at the polls.
Dumbbell Warwick and her GOP AK crew don’t have a clue of what to do about anything!
Well, the time is coming when you can get rid of her and appoint Dunleavy as her replacement! The Republican Party sucks so bad that they ought to consider becoming a vacuum cleaner.
She’s over there seeing if there are any Senate votes she can sell to the Europeans.
Trump made a fool of himself at Davos and truly turned our allies into enemies. Thank you Lisa for going and witnessing the disaster. You all are fools if you think he is the man to lead the country, unless you want disaster.
Here is your choice Jon. Either America owns Greenland or China owns Greenland. You seem to not have a clue. China is exploring Greenland for metals as we speak. Europe is in its death throes. They are completely useless as demonstrated by their defense of Ukraine. Either Russia or China will be standing in Germany before long..
Doug, that’s the problem with TDS. They can’t see anything other than their hatred for President DJT. Everything else be damned!
“……..You all are fools if you think he is the man to lead the country, unless you want disaster………..”
So we should have chosen Kamala?
Laughable.
Dump Ol Lisa in the next Election!
Whether we are Republicans or Democrats, the new Peace Board with over 20 signatories hoping to resolve the Gaza situation is something we all should be happy about.
Lisa, take your junket to the Vatican, since a Trump takeover there is more likely than Greenland! *eye roll* ..,And don’t get between Pramila & and a camera!
FYI: The Senate wasn’t in regular session this week.
And U.S. senators’ efforts to mitigate the disaster from the executive branch are warmly welcomed.
I wonder how many fingers Lisa has in the Political Corruption Pie? She is a Typical Politician that really has one loyalty – HERSELF! Republican or Democrat doesn’t mean crap in today’s political landscape. Dig deep enough and you’ll understand the scam. The world is coming against the US and we have traitors inside the wire. She is one of them.
https://www.oann.com/commentary/nuuk-you/
Murkowski is a corrupt politician and needs to keep her nose out of our National Security objectives. The attached OAN article explains this matter very well and Trump is right on the money with his reasoning to obtain Greenland. If we do not maintain a major presence in the Arctic, China and Russia will own it and completely weaken our defense capabilities in the region not to mention we will lose allot of natural resources.