(NEW YORK) — New Jersey Democratic Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill criticized President Donald Trump on Sunday for pursuing the acquisition of Greenland while the cost of living remains a top issue in the United States.
“There is not one person in New Jersey that wakes up in the morning and says, ‘Gee, I hope today’s the day that the president dumps billions of dollars into buying Greenland while my grocery store costs continue to go up,'” Sherrill told ABC News’ “This Week” co-anchor Jonathan Karl.
Two days before her inauguration, Sherrill talked with Karl in an exclusive interview and pledged to lower costs as governor without going into specific policies she would pursue.
Sherrill said that tariffs Trump has imposed during his first term are raising costs for Americans.
“Right now, the doors to opportunity are being shut down at every level. We see a president who constantly is running this tariff regime, putting more money in his own pocket and raising costs on everybody else,” Sherrill said. “So we are fighting against that.”
Sherrill was elected in November by a double-digit margin, outperforming former Vice President Kamala Harris’ margin in the presidential race in the Garden State. Asked by Karl what lessons the Democratic Party should take away from her victory, Sherrill said Democrats should “listen to people.”
“Get on the street and listen to your constituents or would-be constituents,” Sherrill said. “But the best thing I can do now for the Democratic Party is to govern effectively, to deliver on the promises I made, because, as I’ve mentioned, there’s an affordability crisis.”
Sherrill has previously said she will declare a state of emergency on utility costs, thereby freezing existing rates, on Day 1 in office.
Karl also asked Sherrill about the ongoing immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis, where protesters clashed with federal agents over the weekend.
“[ICE is] assaulting people on the street. They’re busting through windows in cars … people are getting shot and killed by these out of control proto-military agents,” Sherrill said. “I think the president’s trying to incite the protesters so that he can take America’s eyes off the fact that his militia that he’s building around this country is actually attacking American citizens.”
Karl asked Sherrill, a Naval Academy graduate who flew helicopters in the Navy, “You’re a military veteran … what would it mean if he actually goes through with the threat to invoke the Insurrection Act and send those active duty troops that are now on standby into Minneapolis?”
“[Trump] seems to be trying to incite an insurrection so he can then put troops on the street for the insurrection,” Sherrill said. “This is something that every single American should be concerned about.”
Trump administration officials have said there are no plans to pull federal agents out of Minneapolis, and have defended the conduct of ICE agents following multiple shootings. The fatal shooting of Renee Good in Minneapolis on Jan. 7 by ICE agent Jonathan Ross sparked backlash from Democrats and some residents of the city.
After threatening to invoke the Insurrection Act, Trump told reporters on Friday that he didn’t think he needed to invoke it now.
“If I needed it, I’d use it. I don’t think there’s any reason right now to use it, but if I needed it, I’d use it. It’s very powerful,” Trump said.
Immigration enforcement operations also took place in Sherrill’s home state of New Jersey last week, with one raid in Princeton on Thursday leading to two arrests.
Sherrill previously said that she supports her state’s Immigrant Trust Directive, which orders New Jersey police officers not to comply with ICE operations, but opposes it being signed into law, citing concerns about the law being blocked in court.
(NEW YORK) — Republican Rep. Michael McCaul warned on Sunday that any U.S. military intervention to obtain Greenland would put America at odds with its NATO allies — and possibly spell the end of the alliance itself.
“What do you make of what’s going on with the president in Greenland? And now he’s slapped tariffs on eight of our allies in Europe; he’s not ruling out military force to get Greenland. What is going on?” “This Week” co-anchor Jonathan Karl asked McCaul, who serves as chairman emeritus of both the House Foreign Affairs and Homeland Security committees.
While McCaul acknowledged the strategic importance of the autonomous island, which is part of the Kingdom of Denmark, and noted that previous Presidents have considered acquiring the territory, he said the U.S. already has a treaty that allows “full access” to protect Greenland — effectively negating the purpose of any invasion.
“The fact is, the president has full military access to Greenland to protect us from any threat,” McCaul said. “So if he wants to purchase Greenland, that’s one thing. But for him to militarily invade would turn Article 5 of NATO on its very head and, in essence, press a war with NATO itself. It would end up abolishing NATO as we know it.”
McCaul added, “If we want to put more military in there, we can; we don’t have to invade it. If he wants to buy it, that’s fine. But I don’t see a willing seller right now.”
Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen echoed McCaul’s point on “This Week,” and accused the president of “lying” when he says obtaining Greenland is about national security.
“Denmark and Greenland have both said to the United States, ‘You can take what measures you need to protect the security of the United States and, of course, the NATO alliance,'” Van Hollen said. “We have a base there already, and we can expand that base.”
“This is not about security,” Van Hollen told Karl. “This is about a land grab. Donald Trump wants to get his hands on the minerals and other resources of Greenland, just like the real reason he went into Venezuela had nothing to do with stopping drugs from coming.”
Asked if there was any action that Congress could take to prevent Trump from using force to take over Greenland, Van Hollen called on Congress to invoke the War Powers Resolution.
“We could, for example, cut off any funds that could be used for military purposes with respect to Greenland; we could take action under the War Powers Resolution,” Van Hollen said. “But a lot of our Republican colleagues talk big until it comes time to vote. We saw that just this past week, where two Republican senators who had voted in favor of moving forward the War Powers Resolution on Venezuela backed off. So they have to stop giving Donald Trump a blank check.”
Van Hollen also criticized Trump’s threats to intervene militarily in Iran amid reports that thousands of protesters have been killed in demonstrations against the country’s regime.
“I don’t believe we should be using American military force to try to impose democracy on Iran,” Van Hollen said.
“We should support the protesters,” he added. “But the president of United States should not suggest that we’re going to come in there and provide military support to get rid of the regime.”
(MINNEAPOLIS)– Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey defended himself and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on Sunday, insisting they’ve “done nothing wrong” amid what sources say is a new federal investigation targeting the two Democratic officials.
“If the rumors are true, this is deeply concerning, because this is way more important than just me. This is a very serious matter, and this whole investigation would ultimately be the product of one of the most basic foundational responsibilities that I have as mayor, which is to speak on behalf of my constituents,” Frey told “This Week” co-anchor Jonathan Karl. “There are other countries where you get put away for the things that you say. There are other countries where you get investigated for saying something that runs counter to what the federal government states. But in this country, it’s not that way.”
Frey said his office has not received a subpoena from the Department of Justice. He said he intends to comply with the investigation.
“Look, we have done nothing wrong, so of course we will comply in it, but at the same time, we need to be understanding how wild this is. We are doing everything possible right now to keep people safe in our city. We have spoken out to make sure that our residents are protected and people’s constitutional rights are upheld. Speaking out in that way is not illegality,” Frey said.
ABC News reported Friday night that the Justice Department was investigating whether Frey and Walz have been obstructing federal law enforcement activities in the state, according to multiple U.S. officials.
In response, Walz accused the administration of “weaponizing the justice system and threatening political opponents.”
Without directly confirming the investigation, shortly after news broke Attorney General Pam Bondi posted on X, “A reminder to all those in Minnesota: No one is above the law.”
In a separate interview on “This Week,” Rep. Michael McCaul — a Republican member and former chair of the House Homeland Security Committee — said that investigating political leaders like this is “uncommon.”
“It’s a federal offense to impede a federal investigation like we’re seeing in the streets right now. I think that is very uncommon to go after political figures like that. I think it may be more of a statement more than anything else. But you know, we’ll see,” the Texas lawmaker said.
Frey and Walz have clashed with the Trump administration in recent weeks. Up to 3,000 federal agents have been surged to Minnesota to conduct immigration enforcement operations and investigate fraud allegations. Those agents have been met by protesters demanding they cease operations and leave the state.
On Jan. 7, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer fatally shot Minneapolis resident Renee Good, a mother of three. The deadly altercation prompted outrage from residents, local officials and Democratic lawmakers, as well as continued protests, which have been mostly peaceful. The Trump administration has defended the officer, asserting he was acting in self defense because it says the shooting victim was attempting to run him over with her vehicle.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said there are no plans to pull federal agents from the city.
Walz put the Minnesota National Guard on standby over the weekend in case protests got out of hand. While there were some clashes between protesters and counterprotesters, the Guard has not been deployed to the streets.
On “This Week,” Frey said the federal agents’ presence is to blame for the inflamed tensions on the ground.
“The intensity is caused by the unwanted, uninvited people that are here in the form of ICE,” Frey said, adding that there around about five times as many federal agents in the city than there are city police officers. “The calm exists where you don’t have ICE agents. So, if you are looking to restore order and prevent chaos, there’s a very straightforward antidote, and that is for ICE to leave.”
Frey said he doesn’t regret telling ICE to “get the f— out” of Minneapolis after the fatal shooting of Good.
“I don’t regret it at all,” Frey said. “If I seemed like I was angry and frustrated, I was. And part of my responsibility as mayor is to channel what in our city are feeling. And the people in our city were angry. They were upset.”
McCaul, the Texas Republican, called on everybody to tone down the rhetoric and try to deescalate tensions.
“I think we need to — on both sides — start calming down the rhetoric. I’m glad the president did not invoke the Insurrection Act. To throw our military in the middle of all of this just sort of escalated the violence,” he said.
The president has not ruled out invoking the 1807 law that would allow him to deploy the U.S. military for domestic law enforcement. However, he said on Friday, “I don’t think there’s any reason right now to use it.”
While the administration has defended federal agents’ conduct, McCaul said he thinks “maybe some [officers] need to go maybe have some enhanced training.”
Asked about Vice President JD Vance and White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller asserting ICE officers have “immunity” from federal prosecution, McCaul said, “That’s not accurate.”
“I mean, if there’s an unlawful use of force, that is something that can be prosecuted by — under federal law,” said McCaul, who previously worked for the DOJ. “They don’t have full immunity if, you know, if they violate the use of force laws. But at the same time, people who impede a federal investigation don’t have immunity from that either.”
However, McCaul agreed with the administration that immigration enforcement operations are necessary due to the surge in undocumented immigrants who entered the country under the Biden administration.
People bear Greenlandic flags as they gather in front of the U.S. consulate protest against U.S. President Donald Trump and his announced intent to acquire Greenland on January 17, 2026 in Nuuk, Greenland.(Sean Gallup/Getty Images)
(LONDON) — European leaders hit back at U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement that he would impose sanctions on nations that deployed small numbers of military forces to Greenland last week, as the president continues his push to acquire the Arctic territory.
Trump said Saturday that a 10% tariff would be imposed on all goods sent to the U.S. from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the U.K., the Netherlands and Finland.
Trump said the new tariffs will come into force on Feb. 1, and will increase to 25% on June 1. The president said the measures would remain in place until the U.S. is able to purchase Greenland.
Greenland is a self-governing territory of the Kingdom of Denmark. Trump first raised the prospect of acquiring the minerals-rich island in his first term. Danish and Greenlandic politicians have repeatedly rebuffed such proposals.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Saturday said the bloc’s members will meet Trump’s pressure as a united front.
“We have consistently underlined our shared transatlantic interest in peace and security in the Arctic, including through NATO,” she wrote in a post to X. “The pre-coordinated Danish exercise, conducted with allies, responds to the need to strengthen Arctic security and poses no threat to anyone.”
“Tariffs would undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral. Europe will remain united, coordinated and committed to upholding its sovereignty,” von der Leyen said.
Kaja Kallas, the EU’s foreign affairs chief, suggested in a post to X that the escalating tensions between the U.S. and its European allies is a boon for Moscow and Beijing.
“China and Russia must be having a field day,” she wrote. “They are the ones who benefit from divisions among allies. If Greenland’s security is at risk, we can address this inside NATO.”
“Tariffs risk making Europe and the United States poorer and undermine our shared prosperity,” Kallas wrote, suggesting the furor was distracting from allied efforts to support Ukraine against Russia’s ongoing full-scale invasion.
The eight countries — all NATO members — threatened with the tariffs issued a joint statement on Sunday saying they “stand in full solidarity with the Kingdom of Denmark and the people of Greenland.”
The statement says tariffs “undermine transatlantic relations and carry the risk of a dangerous downward spiral.” The signatories added that they are “committed to strengthening security in the Arctic region as a shared transatlantic interest,” and in this context, the planned military exercise in Greenland, “poses a threat to no one.”
EU pushback against Trump came alongside criticism from national leaders.
“France is committed to the sovereignty and independence of nations,” French President Emmanuel Macron said in a statement Saturday, adding that “no intimidation nor threat will influence us, neither in Ukraine, nor in Greenland, nor anywhere else in the world when we are confronted with such situations.”
“Tariff threats are unacceptable and have no place in this context. Europeans will respond to them in a united and coordinated manner if they were to be confirmed. We will know how to uphold European sovereignty,” Macron said.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said, “Applying tariffs on allies for pursuing the collective security of NATO allies is completely wrong.”
“Our position on Greenland is very clear — it is part of the Kingdom of Denmark and its future is a matter for the Greenlanders and the Danes,” he said.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said discussions are ongoing between the affected nations to build a coordinated response.
“We will not let ourselves be blackmailed. Only Denmark and Greenland decide on issues concerning Denmark and Greenland,” he said.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Sunday that Trump’s decision to impose new tariffs was “a mistake and I do not agree with it.”
“The intention of some European countries to send troops, to take part in greater security, should have been understood not as an initiative directed against the United States but rather against other actors,” Meloni said.
Meloni said she spoke with Trump “a few hours ago” and “told him what I think.”
“A core meeting of the European Union has been organized but I believe that at this stage it is very important to talk to one another and that it is very important to avoid an escalation,” she added.
Trump has repeatedly suggested that U.S. sovereignty over the world’s largest island is necessary to ensure American security and blunt Chinese and Russian influence in the Arctic region.
“This is a very dangerous situation for the Safety, Security, and Survival of our Planet. These Countries, who are playing this very dangerous game, have put a level of risk in play that is not tenable or sustainable,” Trump posted on social media on Saturday, referring to deployment of small contingents of troops by European allies.
“Only the United States of America, under PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP, can play in this game, and very successfully, at that!” he said in the post.
As a part of the Kingdom of Denmark, Greenland is covered by NATO’s collective defense clause. Greenland hosts the U.S. Pituffik Space Base and around 150 American troops, the U.S. having significantly downgraded its footprint from its high point during the Cold War.
A 1951 defense agreement grants the U.S. military access to Greenland. Danish politicians have repeatedly expressed willingness to work with Washington to expand the American and NATO presence there.
Danish officials have also sought to head off concerns about the supposed vulnerability of the Arctic. Last year, Copenhagen announced a $6.5 billion Arctic defense package in response to U.S. criticism that it had failed to adequately protect Greenland.
But such steps do not appear to have deterred Trump, who has said he would consider taking Greenland by force if other means to acquire the land fail.
A meeting in Washington, D.C., last week between U.S., Danish and Greenlandic representatives seemingly failed to de-escalate the standoff.
“It’s clear that the president has this wish of conquering over Greenland,” Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen told reporters after meeting with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Rasmussen said that outcome was “totally unacceptable.”
Rasmussen said Saturday that the president’s threat came as a surprise, citing his “constructive meeting” with Vance and Rubio last week.
Rasmussen said in a statement that the purpose of last week’s military deployments to Greenland “is to enhance security in the Arctic.”
The continued U.S. focus on Greenland prompted protests there this weekend, with crowds of people turning out for a “Stop Trump” march through the capital Nuuk. Greenlandic politicians have collectively and repeatedly said they do not wish to join the U.S.
Trump’s efforts have also prompted congressional resistance. On Friday, a bipartisan group of House members and senators traveled to Greenland and said they had “constructive” conversations with members of Denmark’s parliament.
U.S. Sens. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., and Thom Tillis, R-N.C., who were part of the delegation, released a statement Saturday warning that the tariff threat will hurt the U.S.’s relationships with its European counterparts.
“There is no need, or desire, for a costly acquisition or hostile military takeover of Greenland when our Danish and Greenlandic allies are eager to work with us on Arctic security, critical minerals and other priorities under the framework of long-standing treaties,” the lawmakers said in the statement.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said on Saturday that Democrats will introduce legislation to block tariffs against countries who oppose a takeover of Greenland.
Fires are lit as protesters rally on January 8, 2026 in Tehran, Iran. (Anonymous/Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — An extraordinarily violent crackdown by Iranian security forces appears to have succeeded for now in driving protesters from the streets, according to activists and analysts who managed to speak with people inside the country despite the information blackout.
Demonstrations began in late December with protesters chanting in Tehran against rising inflation and the falling value of the national currency before spreading across Iran and becoming more explicitly anti-government. Authorities have shut down the internet in Iran for more than a week as security forces moved to crush the protests.
The internet blackout in Iran continues to make it very difficult to get a clear picture from the ground, but accounts are emerging from people now able to use phone lines, those few with access to working Starlink satellite terminals and Iranians who have recently left the country.
These people describe an eerie calm over Iran’s cities, where heavily armed security forces are deployed on the streets enforcing what many are describing as a de-facto curfew.
Mehdi Yahyanejad, an Iranian activist based in Washington, D.C., says he has helped send in hundreds of Starlink terminals to citizen journalists and others in Iran to help get around the government blackout.
“Unfortunately, the crackdown has been so severe the protests have pretty much come to a halt,” he said told ABC News on Thursday.
“There are security forces everywhere — there is a state of fear,” said Yahyanejad, who co-founded Net Freedom Pioneers, an anti-censorship group.
The smothering of the protests would seem to make U.S. military intervention less likely. President Donald Trump initially signaled there could be possible U.S. military action in support of protesters.
Yahyanejad said in the past few days there are still signs of dissent — people were heard chanting anti-regime slogans from windows. In some neighborhoods groups of youths have also gathered and shouted slogans, before quickly fleeing when security forces arrive.
The death toll from the crackdown continues to grow as more information comes out. The D.C.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, HRANA, now puts it at more than 3,308 protesters killed since Dec. 28.
A total of 24,266 people have been arrested in the protests since they began, including 2,107 injured protesters with serious wounds, according to HRANA.
ABC News cannot independently verify these numbers. Although there have not been signs of major demonstrations in recent days, human rights groups are continuing to verify the identities of those killed over the weeks of unrest.
The Islamic Republic has not released a death toll, but Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Saturday that thousands have been killed. Other Iranian authorities have said before that two-thirds of those dead are “martyrs” killed by protesters that they describe as “terrorists” and “mercenary agents of Israel and the U.S.”
Yahyanejad said while there was intense anger under the surface still, he doubted the protests would restart unless the U.S. launched strikes.
“I think if there is no action from the U.S., I don’t think they are going to come back that soon,” he said.
Regarding a possible U.S. response, President Donald Trump told reporters Friday afternoon that it was not Arab and Israeli officials who convinced him not to strike Iran, but that he made the decision himself not to strike the country.
“Nobody convinced me. I convinced myself,” Trump said.
Trump applauded the Iranian regime for what he claims is the cancellation of over 800 scheduled hangings on Thursday, according to what he said “are very important sources on the other side.”
“I greatly respect the fact that all scheduled hangings, which were to take place yesterday (Over 800 of them), have been cancelled by the leadership of Iran,” Trump said on his social media platform Friday.
The head of Iran’s judiciary, Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei, had suggested Wednesday that there would be expedited trials and executions for those who have been arrested in the nationwide protests. The Iranian government has yet to comment on Trump’s claim that the scheduled hangings have been halted.
Concerns about the safety of injured protesters There are fears the arrests are just beginning as the regime moves to round up protesters, activists and independent analysts told ABC News.
Injured people are frightened to visit hospitals or clinics because security officers are waiting for them there, according to Yahyanejad.
There are also allegations that during the mass killing, some severely injured protesters were removed from hospitals and executed, according to activists and analysts. The accusations are based on videos that show bodies still intubated or with catheters, but with bullet wounds to the head.
Reviewing the pictures of the bodies, Yasser Ghorashi, an Iranian doctor, told ABC News that hospitals in Iran never send a body to the morgue without removing all medical tools and devices.
The Toronto-based Iranian doctor said that he had been in touch with doctors inside the country who reported security forces had raided hospitals and taken injured protesters.
Their accounts match videos verified by ABC News that shows security forces raiding hospitals in Ilam, a city in west Iran, during the early days of the protests.
Bob Weir performs onstage at 2023 A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To Cure Parkinson’s at Casa Cipriani on November 11, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for The Michael J. Fox Foundation)
Grateful Dead guitarist Bob Weir, whose death was announced Jan. 10, was remembered with a celebration of life in San Francisco on Saturday.
The public event took place at Civic Center Plaza, and featured speeches by Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart and Dead & Company’s John Mayer.Also sharing their memories of Weir were Joan Baez, San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie andCongresswoman Nancy Pelosi, as well as Weir’s family, wife Natascha Weir and daughters Monet Weir and Chloe Weir.
“There was nothing like Bob Weir. … He was singular. He was not a copy of anything that came before. He was a true original,” Hart said, “I could sit here and tell you so many stories about our lives together. But at the heart of it all is that this was never just a band. It was a family.”
Hart also addressed the fans gathered, saying, “The songs of our lives are yours now, and it’s up to all of us to keep the refrain building. Love is real, not fade away.”
Mayer talked of all he learned from Weir over the decade they performed together, noting the rocker “changed my life.”
“Bob took a chance on me, he staked his entire reputation on my joining a band with him. He gave me musical community, he gave me this community,” Mayer said. “He invited me into the worlds he’d constructed, and he taught me what the songs meant and what it meant to perform them.”
Mayer added, “In return, I gave him everything I had night after night, year after year.”
The celebration also included recorded messages from musicians including Weir’s Grateful Dead bandmate BillKreutzmann, as well as Dave Matthews, Gov’t Mule‘s Warren Haynes, Willie Nelson, Phish‘s Trey Anastasio, Sammy Hagar and more.
The celebration ended with Mayer on guitar and vocals leading the fans in the Grateful Dead classic “Ripple.”
People hold Greenlandic flags and placards as they gather by the United States Consulate to march in protest against U.S. President Donald Trump and his announced intent to acquire Greenland on January 17, 2026 in Nuuk, Greenland.(Sean Gallup/Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — President Donald Trump said on Saturday that the NATO countries who have sent small contingents of troops to Greenland amid the White House’s push to acquire the island will be charged a 10% tariff on all goods sent to the United States starting on Feb. 1.
The tariffs on Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Finland will then increase to 25% on June 1, until the U.S. is able to purchase Greenland, according to the president.
Greenland is a self-governing territory of the Kingdom of Denmark.
“This is a very dangerous situation for the Safety, Security, and Survival of our Planet. These Countries, who are playing this very dangerous game, have put a level of risk in play that is not tenable or sustainable,” Trump posted on social media.
Trump, in his post, repeated his claim that China and Russia would threaten to take Greenland if the U.S. does not. He claimed Denmark cannot protect Greenland.
“Only the United States of America, under PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP, can play in this game, and very successfully, at that!” he said in the post.
Some leaders from the targeted countries slammed Trump over his tariff threats.
“France is committed to the sovereignty and independence of Nations,” French President Emmanuel Macron said in a statement Saturday, adding that “no intimidation nor threat will influence us, neither in Ukraine, nor in Greenland, nor anywhere else in the world when we are confronted with such situations.”
“Tariff threats are unacceptable and have no place in this context. Europeans will respond to them in a united and coordinated manner if they were to be confirmed. We will know how to uphold European sovereignty,” Macron said.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a statement that “Applying tariffs on allies for pursuing the collective security of NATO allies is completely wrong.”
“Our position on Greenland is very clear – it is part of the Kingdom of Denmark and its future is a matter for the Greenlanders and the Danes,” he said.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said in a statement Saturday that discussions are being had between the countries for a coordinated response.
“We will not let ourselves be blackmailed. Only Denmark and Greenland decide on issues concerning Denmark and Greenland,” he said. “I will always stand up for my country, and for our allied neighbors.”
Trump has said he would consider taking Greenland by force as an option to acquire the land.
Leaders from Greenland and Denmark, which governs international matters for the country, have repeatedly said Greenland is not for sale.
“It’s clear that the president has this wish of conquering over Greenland,” Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen told reporters after meeting with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio Wednesday.
Rasmussen called that outcome “totally unacceptable.”
Several leaders from European nations, including France and Germany, have slammed Trump’s rhetoric and sent military forces to Greenland this week as part of training exercises launched by the Danish military.
Trump’s controversial plan to acquire Greenland has been met with disapproval on the island, where protests against the U.S. have taken place.
On Saturday, huge crowds hit the streets in Greenland lashing out at Trump over his proposal. A large crowd of protesters conducted a “Stop Trump” march through the streets of Nuuk.
Trump’s proposal has also not sat well among many Americans where people and leaders across the aisle have spoken out against the idea of acquiring Greenland.
A Quinnipiac University poll found 55% of voters are opposed to the United States trying to buy Greenland, with majorities of Democratic voters (85%) and Independent voters (58%) opposed and a majority of Republican voters in support (67%).
On Friday, a bipartisan group of House members and senators traveled to Greenland and said they had “constructive” conversations with members of Denmark’s parliament.
The delegation said the visit was to nurture the relationship between Denmark, Greenland and the United States and to reassure NATO partners that many members of Congress do not support any effort by the United States to acquire Greenland.
“I think it’s important that it be recognized that when it comes to matters of relationships with our friends, with our allies, as we have here in Denmark, as we have in Greenland, that it is — it is not a subject of Republicans versus Democrats. It is a recognition, again, of a strong and continuing relationship over decades,” Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said.
Trump’s tariffs have been hit with lawsuits which have been appealed all the way the Supreme Court. It is not known when the high court will rule on the case.
(NEW YORK) — Two winter storms will move through the East this weekend, with cold air coming right behind it in an arctic blast forecast for next week.
The first of the two storm systems will be a quick-moving, clipper system that continues to bring scattered snow showers to the Midwest and Great Lakes before bringing two rounds of snow for the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic on Saturday.
The first round of snow showers moved through early Saturday morning from the central Appalachian Mountains in West Virginia and Virginia up into Pennsylvania, as well as New England. The next round moves in later Saturday morning.
By noon, there will be either snow or mixed conditions along the I-95 corridor from Baltimore to Philadelphia to New York City.
By mid-afternoon, Washington, D.C., to Philadelphia will be clear with New York City and Bridgeport, Connecticut, seeing a change to a light wintry mix as things begin drying up.
Most of New England will see snow on Saturday except along the coast. Boston is likely seeing mostly rain from this, but could get in on a wintry mix at times.
Heading into Saturday night, the first storm system moves out and things begin to clear out across the Northeast, with only a few isolated showers remaining.
The next storm system, which will be a coastal storm that forms off the Southeast coast early Sunday morning, will slide up the East Coast for Sunday.
A light wintry mix or snow will be present for parts of Georgia on Sunday morning by 8:00 a.m., with it possibly extending down to the Florida Panhandle. Atlanta could even get in on a few snow showers, while Macon, Georgia, is likely to see more concentrated wintry weather.
Rain elsewhere along the Southeast coast extends up into the Carolinas.
As the coastal storm moves up the East Coast later Sunday morning into the afternoon, the next round of snow looks to develop along the Northeast coast from Washington, D.C., to New York City to Boston.
It’s not set yet who will see snow with this coastal storm, as it all depends on how close it is to the coast. There is a chance for more snow near the I-95 corridor. However, it’s becoming clearer that there’ll be more snow for areas along the coast rather than areas inland with this second storm system.
Overall, both of these storm systems will bring minor accumulations along the I-95 corridor and parts of New England.
Some higher snowfall amounts of 2 to 6 inches will be possible north and west of the I-95 corridor and parts of interior New England.
Behind these two systems will be a big arctic blast that will sweep across much of the Eastern and Central U.S. to start the new work week.
(NEW YORK) — Athletes and fans will start arriving at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan next month, but one U.S. agency has been on the ground working to ensure safety at the games.
Special agents from the U.S. Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) have been working with the local authorities in Italy since 2022 to secure the Winter Olympic games, according to two top officials involved in the planning.
As the State Department’s law enforcement arm, DSS is responsible for securing international events and embassies around the world. As they have in years past, the agency takes a front and center role in helping to secure the Olympic Games, working in concert with authorities from the host country.
“We have a memorandum of understanding with the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee to provide intelligence and security support for them while they’re overseas to keep them safe so they can concentrate on winning the gold medals,” Timothy Ayers, the major events coordinator for DSS, told ABC News.
In addition to providing security for U.S. athletes, DSS also helps to provide security for American corporations that are on the ground at the games, and the agency is ready to deploy if something were to happen.
DSS also provides training for the host country in order to better work together, including bringing officials to National Special Security Events in the United States, such as the Super Bowl and The Masters.
“Our team is focused really on strengthening relationships with our Italian counterparts, both at the national and subnational level,” Nick Fanelli, the Olympic security coordinator in Milan, told ABC News. “A lot of our engagement started in Rome, with contacts within the ministries and then going down to the provincial level, making contacts with the provincial counterparts both from the local police and local governments down to municipal level.”
Fanelli has been in Italy for two years planning and creating on-the-ground relationships with Italian security services, he said.
Agents from DSS are physically embedded with the teams and in the Olympic village, according to Ayers.
Both said they see the lone wolf actor as the biggest threat to the games, but said there are no credible threats currently.
“One thing that we’re always concerned about at an Olympics or a World Cup is that lone wolf attack,” Ayers aid. “We’re very comfortable with the fact that we can track things that are organized and things like that … when things happen we can track those kinds of things, but that lone wolf attack, that lone actor, it’s very difficult to track as they’re acting on their own, they’re acting with less resources and they can do what they want so that is usually a very concerning thing.”
Given the sprawling nature of events at the games, securing the transportation is key, according to the two senior DSS agents.
“The Italians are supremely prepared for this,” Fanelli said. “They have been hosting a number of different exercises across fields, if you will, transportation structure, critical infrastructure, to stress test their systems, to iron out their communications, and we have a lot of redundant comps with them as well.”
He said that DSS has people on the ground in constant contact with Italian authorities should something happen, including putting an agent at every one of the events. Those agents could be a resource for U.S. citizens who attend the games, in addition to the athletes.
“My team and I know these venue managers very personally,” Fanelli said. “We know our security contacts and police contacts on a first name basis throughout all of Northern Italy. So, they know that if there’s an American citizen that’s in crisis or has an issue, in addition to following their normal protocols, they’re going to notify us as well, so we’ll get that information and we can marshal resources.”
Ayers said there will be over 100 agents in Milan for the games.
President Donald Trump speaks to reporters on the South Lawn before boarding Marine One at the White House on January 16, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Tom Brenner/Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — From the campaign trail to Capitol Hill, a growing number of Democrats have said they believe President Donald Trump has committed impeachable offenses in his first year back in office.
But with their focus on the midterms, fewer elected Democrats are willing to commit to impeaching Trump if they win back control of the House, given likely Republican control of the Senate and potential for backlash from voters.
Trump has predicted that Democrats will impeach him if they retake the House, and Republicans plan to make that threat a key piece of their midterm messaging.
“They will do anything to stop the Trump agenda,” Rep. Dan Meuser, a Republican from Pennsylvania, said of Democrats. “People, if they don’t want a two-year president, who they voted for pretty overwhelmingly in 2024, can’t allow the House to flip.”
Instead, many Democrats said they are focusing on the cost of living and the state of the economy.
“There’s a lot for me to be concerned about,” said Rep. Eugene Vindman, a Democrat from Virginia.
Vindman is an Army veteran and former national security official who played a role in raising concerns about Trump’s 2019 phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the center of his first impeachment.
“The American people are concerned about costs, and meanwhile, the president is pursuing foreign adventures,” Vindman told ABC News.
Impeachment calls have picked up in 2026 amid the U.S. attack on Venezuela and the Justice Department’s investigations into Trump’s perceived opponents. A number of progressive Democrats from liberal districts and candidates in crowded blue-seat primaries have called for the impeachment of Trump and key cabinet officials.
Democrats are also setting their sights on Cabinet officials: More than 80 Democrats have cosponsored Illinois Democrat Rep. Robin Kelly’s articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem following the deployment of federal agents to Minnesota and the killing of a Minneapolis woman by a federal agent.
Still, Democratic leaders are moving cautiously ahead of the midterms, when they will need to gain at least three seats to win control of Congress.
“If candidates and members of Congress are not relentlessly focusing on people’s everyday lives, they are making a mistake,” former Democratic Rep. Cheri Bustos, who led the House Democrats’ campaign committee, told ABC News.
“There’s so much of what President Trump has done, is doing, will do that can be labeled ‘impeachable offenses,’ but in the end what good is it going to do? Even if the House has the votes, the Senate will not go along with it,” she said.
The House has already rejected two impeachment pushes from Rep. Al Green, a Democrat from Texas. In June, 128 Democrats voted with Republicans to block his charges over the U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities without approval from Congress.
In December, just 23 Democrats voted with Republicans to kill a second effort focused on Trump’s comments about Democrats who posted a social media video urging service members to refuse illegal orders, while another 47 voted present.
In a statement after that vote, House Democratic leaders called impeachment a “sacred constitutional vehicle” requiring a “comprehensive investigative process” that had not taken place.
“None of that serious work has been done, with the Republican majority focused solely on rubber stamping Donald Trump’s extreme agenda,” Reps. Hakeem Jeffries, Pete Aguilar and Katherine Clark said, arguing that voting “present” allowed them to “continue our fight to make life more affordable for everyday Americans.”
Rep. Jamie Raskin, a Maryland Democrat and the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, said there’s “definitely a rising clamor for impeachment.”
“Of course, it requires a majority vote of the House to get there, but we need a structured method of thinking through all the lawlessness and criminality taking place,” Raskin said.
Kat Abughazaleh, a 26-year-old activist who is running for Congress in Illinois, has argued that Democratic leaders need to “grow a f—ing spine,” and do more to challenge the Trump administration.
She has spoken out and protested against ICE activities in Chicago, and has pleaded not guilty to charges that she interfered with law enforcement during a protest outside an ICE facility in Illinois last fall that went viral on social media.
“One of the most critical failures in American politics is how our leaders have instilled this feeling that we shouldn’t fight for the world we want to see, that we shouldn’t take measures towards a future that we want to live in,” she told ABC News.
“Impeachment is just another tool in the accountability machine that’s supposed to work, but it doesn’t,” she said.
Raskin, who would lead impeachment proceedings in a Democratic House, said he would be “moving very quickly” in the next two months on “announcing a systematic way of thinking” about the various actions of the Trump administration that Democrats find objectionable, and potentially worth investigating.
