Congress

Trump’s Greenland tariffs could squeeze Hill Republicans

Published

8 months ago

January 21, 2026

President Donald Trump’s threat to weaponize steep new tariffs as part of his bid to acquire Greenland could soon put queasy Republicans on the spot.

House and Senate Democrats plan to force votes as soon as next month to block the European tariffs Trump announced over the weekend, according to two aides granted anonymity to disclose private scheduling. That, for now, is likely to be the main avenue of congressional accountability as the president amps up his campaign targeting the icy Danish territory.

Democrats are waiting for Trump to file his executive order, but once he does, a resolution would ripen about 20 days later, according to one Senate aide granted anonymity to describe internal planning.

While some lawmakers have floated using the spending legislation now moving through Congress ahead of next week’s government funding deadline as a way to block Trump, leaders of both parties are wary of taking any steps that could lead to a government shutdown. And, as POLITICO first reported, Danish officials have privately urged against forcing a vote on a separate war powers authorization unless it has overwhelming bipartisan support.

But the 10 percent tariffs threatened against Denmark, France, Germany, the U.K. and four other countries that recently sent a small contingent of troops to Greenland offer a clear opportunity for congressional pushback from Republicans uneasy about the geopolitics of Trump’s audacious demands, their own free-trade views or a combination of both.

The Greenland reckoning comes as the House prepares to come off the sidelines on the gamut of Trump’s second-term tariffs. Speaker Mike Johnson has so far been able to shield Trump — and his own GOP members — from a direct confrontation over the president’s aggressive levies, which have sparked private heartburn among some Republicans.

But that appears to be coming to an end. A procedural maneuver that blocked efforts to cancel prior Trump tariffs expires next week, and Republicans have no firm plan to extend the protections for the president. Already one House Republican — Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska — says he is likely to oppose any effort by Johnson to block a cancellation of the Greenland-related tariffs from coming to the floor.

“It’s crazy — they’re an ally, and we’ve alienated our good friends,” Bacon said Tuesday about Trump’s move targeting the Danes and other NATO countries that have backed them.

With Republicans holding a threadbare House majority, and Democrats outnumbering them on some days, even one or two GOP defectors might be able to quash any effort to prevent a tariff vote.

Three Republicans voted in September against Johnson’s last effortto block tariff votes: Reps. Kevin Kiley of California, Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Victoria Spartz of Indiana, who could be likely allies of Bacon.

Rep. Tom McClintock (R-Calif.) also said he would oppose any effort to prevent tariff votes and doesn’t support the president’s plan to impose new trade levies on European countries over Greenland.

“I think that the Trump economic policies overall are having a tremendous positive effect on the economy. I think the tariffs are hurting. And when you’re trying to accelerate, it doesn’t make much sense to tap on the brakes,” McClintock said Tuesday.

Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) said Trump’s plan to slap financial penalties on European allies over Greenland is a “bad idea” and that he wants to know the rationale for preventing a vote on blocking them. Fitzpatrick didn’t say how he would vote if he had the chance.

“My sense is that he’s trying to gain leverage, but I still don’t support the rhetoric,” Fitzpatrick said. “Denmark has given us full access to the country, they’re a NATO ally. There’s no reason for any of this.”

Republicans are already on edge as they await a ruling from the Supreme Court about Trump’s ability to use emergency powers to implement tariffs at will. The justices skipped an opportunity to issue a decision Tuesday, and it could be a month or more before they rule.

Rep. Jeff Hurd (R-Colo.) said the legality of Trump’s latest tariff threat over Greenland is “a question that I have not seen answered yet.” He said he was wary of allowing a president to deploy tariffs as a way to secure new territory.

“I think if it’s to address trade imbalances or trade abuses … then that’s the sort of thing where tariffs are certainly appropriate,” Hurd said. “Outside of that context, I think it gets more problematic.”

Johnson largely sidestepped a question Tuesday night on Trump’s threat to use tariffs as the latest salvo in his bid to acquire Greenland. He downplayed the odds of a conflict, saying that the U.S. has “great allies” and “everybody there wants to work towards a solution together.”

The Senate is likely to pass a resolution to block the Greenland-related tariffs when it comes up for a vote. Already three Republicans — Sens. Rand Paul of Kentucky, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Thom Tillis of North Carolina — have publicly bashed Trump’s tariffs and urged Congress to take back its institutional prerogatives. Democrats would only need to pick up four GOP votes, and Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) have both been publicly critical of Trump’s Greenland threats and previously supported resolutions targeting Trump’s other tariffs.

“The way we are going about projecting power in the Arctic is costly, divisive and unnecessary,” Tillis said during a Blue Light News panel Tuesday at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

The House and Senate both voting to block Trump’s tariffs would be a significant moment — marking the first time both chambers have moved to check Trump’s most controversial trade tactic. But the president would surely veto such an effort, and there are no signs he is yet facing the type of GOP jailbreak that would allow Congress to override him.

But forcing a vote stands to make things uncomfortable for those in the GOP who have tried to telegraph their discomfort with the Greenland push without fully breaking with Trump.

Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), for instance, sidestepped weighing in directly on Trump’s latest tariff threat Tuesday, instead saying that the president has “been a strong supporter of tariffs.”

“We’ve had a great relationship with them in the past, and there’s a significant military presence,” Barrasso added on Greenland. “We need to build on that.”

House Democrats, meanwhile, are seizing on the momentum to try to squeeze their GOP counterparts.

Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), the top Democrat on the Rules Committee, recited Tillis’ and Murkowski’s remarks during a meeting of the panel Tuesday. He pressed Rep. Adrian Smith of Nebraska, a tariff-skeptical Republican who was testifying on an unrelated bill, whether he would support an effort by Johnson to block a vote on the Greenland-related tariffs.

Smith said he would “prefer to vote on tariffs, certainly,” while adding he would need to look over any new language before making a commitment.

“I wasn’t expecting to have this discussion,” Smith said, later adding: “I’ve been on the record for saying I’m not a fan of tariffs.”

Mia McCarthy contributed to this report.

Congress

Ohio stations ignore Max Miller’s legal threat, run Democratic challenger’s ad

Published

19 minutes ago

September 22, 2026

Blue Light Newsroom

Ohio television stations are so far choosing to ignore a legal threat from GOP Rep. Max Miller and broadcast an ad from his Democratic challenger centered on the allegations of domestic abuse Miller faces from his ex-wife.

A lawyer for Miller demanded that Cleveland-area television station WKYC not publish “false, malicious, and defamatory statements” in a Thursday cease-and-desist letter first reported by Blue Light News.

WKYC ran the ad Tuesday morning, according to ad-tracking firm AdImpact, as did two other Cleveland stations, WEWS and WOIO.

The 30-second ad from the Poindexter campaign and Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee depicts a local sheriff listing the accusations levied against Miller levied by Emily Moreno, his ex-wife and the daughter of Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio). Miller has repeatedly denied the abuse allegations.

“The ad mentioned is filled with lies,” Miller spokesperson Abigail Angelos said in a statement. “Each of the statements in the advertisement are entirely unsubstantiated and contradicted by evidence.”

Representatives for the three TV stations did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Poindexter responded to the legal threat by tearing up the cease-and-desist letter in a campaign video.

Before the ad, Poindexter had focused his campaign on his working-class background and cost-of-living issues. Now the campaign has gotten intensely personal: The Democrat is on air publicizing Miller’s family dispute, while Miller’s campaign is lobbing accusations about Poindexter’s past run-ins with law enforcement in an ad paid for by the NRCC.

NRCC spokesperson Zach Bannon said in a statement that Poindexter is “completely out of touch with Northeast Ohio” and is a “life-long criminal” who is “fully embracing the radical far-left socialist agenda.”

Aaron Pellish contributed to this report.

Congress

GOP Senator wants to subpoena Donald Trump Jr. over Russian-funded wedding

Published

3 hours ago

September 22, 2026

Blue Light Newsroom

A Senate Republican from Utah is asking the Senate Judiciary Committee to subpoena Donald Trump Jr. following reports that the president’s son had parts of his wedding paid for by a Russian oligarch with ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Sen. John Curtis’ request, which comes following a news story by ProPublica, marks a significant break with President Donald Trump from a member of his own party.

“Questions have arisen about the relationships of President Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., with foreign business figures and the acceptance of significant gifts. These include a lavish wedding afterparty, on a private island, provided by Russian oligarch Umar Kremlev, who reportedly traveled to China as part of a delegation accompanying Vladimir Putin shortly before giving the gift,” Curtis wrote in a letter dated Sept. 21 to Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and the panel’s top Democrat, Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois.

“These concerns are compounded by Donald Trump Jr.’s active promotion of family-backed cryptocurrency ventures, his continued pursuit of international real estate deals involving direct meetings with foreign heads of state, and his reported investments in defense contracting,” Curtis added.

Curtis, also noting the profits the Trump family has made through cryptocurrency deals, indicated this incident is part of a broader pattern where the relatives of U.S. presidents can improperly leverage their proximity to power.

In addition to probing Trump Jr., Curtis asked the Senate Judiciary Committee to subpoena President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, who over the years found himself enveloped in numerous self-dealing scandals. Both men, he said, should testify “regarding their past business dealings, relationships with foreign individuals and entities, gifts, or other benefits they have received, and any instances in which their relationship to the President was invoked or understood to provide value.”

“The country should not have to accept one standard for the family of a Republican president and another for the family of a Democratic president. Nor should congressional oversight begin and end when control of the White House changes hands,” Curtis said.

The White House did not immediately return a request for comment Wednesday, but it’s unlikely that Trump, who demands loyalty from the GOP, will consider the bipartisan nature of Curtis’ request to be anything other than a personal affront.

Trump said in a statement he has “no idea who Umar is” and that he has “never heard of him, and he didn’t pay for Don and Bettina’s wedding, which took place at a totally different location, and on a different day from the wedding.”

Kremlev is president of the International Boxing Association and received an Order of Friendship medal from Putin for his “contribution to international sport and his commitment to the global boxing family.” He’s also been sanctioned by the Ukrainian government for his ties to Putin.

A spokesperson for Judiciary Committee Republicans confirmed Grassley was in receipt of the letter but could not commit to investigating the matter. The spokesperson noted that hearing dates are extremely limited through the end of 2026 and investigative hearings usually take months of background work before they can be scheduled.

It’s sure to be an issue Democrats pursue if they win the majority in either chamber next year. Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), the ranking member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, wrote to the White House and Donald Trump Jr. last week demanding information about the president’s son’s ties to Kremlev.

Cheyanne M. Daniels contributed to this report.

Congress

Capitol agenda: Senate GOP eyes exit plan as trail calls

Published

4 hours ago

September 22, 2026

Blue Light Newsroom

Senators dreaming of the smell of jet fumes might get their wish.

The chamber, initially scheduled to be in session until the beginning of October, is instead eyeing departure by the end of the week. To get there, though, Republicans will need to strike a time agreement with Democrats to fast-track the remainder of their work.

And while GOP members are antsy to spend more time in their states campaigning ahead of the midterms, some in their ranks are also uncomfortable that their final agenda items aren’t doing more to address issues voters increasingly care about — like the cost of living, data centers or AI safety.

For now, senators’ agenda includes: a sweeping college athletics bill, an Iran war powers resolution, a handful of nominees — including for labor secretary — and potential votes to roll back California’s stricter standards for vehicle emissions.

So far Democrats haven’t tipped their hand on whether they will agree to speed up consideration of the college sports legislation. Without a deal, the bill will drag into at least Friday evening, but Democrats first want details about the entire pre-recess agenda, according to two people granted anonymity to disclose private deliberations.

Whether the Senate will get around to doing something — anything — to address public alarm about the growing capabilities of artificial intelligence or pass permitting reform legislation remains to be seen.

Discussions are ongoing about whether the chamber will take a vote on Sen. Jon Husted’s so-called Ratepayer Protection Act, which aims to curb the energy costs associated with data centers.

Negotiators dragged past what was viewed as an unofficial deadline (over the weekend) to reach a deal to streamline energy permitting before the midterms.

Also to potentially get the boot if senators leave this week: a planned Senate Judiciary hearing next week with former special counsel Jack Smith.

Chair Chuck Grassley, asked last week, said “we gotta go ahead with that” hearing but added that he hasn’t grappled with an early dismissal: “Gosh, I haven’t thought about that.”

An aide of his chimed in saying the committee is “working on options” but that “it’s hard with the uncertainty” of the schedule.

What else we’re watching:

— SOARING DIESEL COSTS EXPOSE GOP SPLITS: Several farm state Republicans this week have all but begged President Donald Trump to do something to lower record-high diesel prices fueled by the Iran war, even if it means crossing their traditional allies in the oil and gas sector. The cacophony of outcry puts pressure on GOP leaders and exposes divisions among Republicans as members grapple with an unpopular war led by the president. Grassley posted over the weekend that high diesel prices are “KILLING FARMERS INCOME” and urged Trump to “put an embargo on diesel exports like presidents in the 70s put embargoes on ag products bc food prices were inflated.” Michigan’s GOP Senate candidate Mike Rogers on Monday also threw his support behind a “temporary embargo” on diesel exports and called for an end to the Iran war, as did Iowa Senate candidate Rep. Ashley Hinson in a Monday morning post. Reps. Zach Nunn and Mariannette Miller-Meeks also called for diesel price relief.

— JEFFRIES SNAPS BACK AT GOLDEN: Hakeem Jeffries slammed exiting Rep. Jared Golden’s endorsement of a battleground Republican Monday, showcasing a rare display of frustration by the minority leader against a member who’s bucked his party multiple times this month. Jeffries and Democratic leaders were already weighing potential punishment for Golden after he twice in recent weeks was a key vote unfreezing Republicans’ floor agendas. On Monday, Golden twisted the proverbial knife by endorsing Rep. Mike Lawler in a district Democrats are spending millions of dollars in in an effort to flip. “Mike Lawler is an unadulterated phony who has never shown bipartisan courage when it matters,” Jeffries wrote in a statement that didn’t mention Golden by name. “In desperation, he is peddling an 11th hour endorsement from a retiring Congressmember who represents an out of town district more than 400 miles away.”

Jordain Carney, James Bikales, Rachel Shin and Riley Rogerson contributed to this report.