US President Donald Trump, who has called himself the "tariff king", threatened today that he may use tariffs as a tool to pressure third countries to agree to the annexation of Greenland by the United States.
The US president has repeatedly expressed his desire to control Greenland, which is a semi-autonomous region of Denmark, arguing that it is of strategic importance. However, his statements have provoked strong reactions, not only from Copenhagen and Greenland, but also from European governments and US congressmen from both parties.
Trump's comments came during a White House health care event, where he referred to how the threat of tariffs has forced other developed countries to accept higher drug prices in order to lower prices in the United States.
"I can do it for Greenland. I can put tariffs on countries if they don't agree with Greenland, because we need it for national security reasons. I can do it," he said.
Trump did not specify the amount of the potential tariffs or which countries would be targeted. At the same time, a decision is pending from the U.S. Supreme Court, which could rule at any time on the legality of the tariffs Trump has unilaterally imposed internationally.
“I am the tariff king and the tariff king has done a great job,” Trump said, adding: “I hope we win the case in the Supreme Court, because if we don’t, it will be a disgrace to our country.”
