Today in Politics, Bulletin 290. 1/20/26

… Sky News’ Beth Rigby: “Trump detonated a series of bombshells on Truth Social overnight: leaking private messages from President Macron, posting image of Canada and Greenland as part of the US, and going all out on PM Keir Starmer and UK by calling the Chagos deal an ‘act of great stupidity’.”

… “Been speaking around govt this morning to get a sense of what the hell is going on after the PM yesterday sought to reiterate the UK’s position on Greenland while also trying to de-escalate, stressing the strong relationship, dodging the matter of retaliatory tariffs (although not ruling it out) and avoiding any incendiary language adopted by other leaders clearly fed up with Trump.”

… “But the lashing out against the UK and Starmer seems to be part of a bigger assault on allies - as Trump reveals private messages with Macron and shares a map of Canada as US territory, which will no doubt explode in Canada when the country wakes up in a few hours.”

… “Trump is clearly frustrated that European allies are standing firm on Greenland and facing down this threats, regardless of the consequences on the tariffs. Meanwhile, his Board of Peace plan has also fallen flat as the President demands $1 billion for membership of a club that seems intended to undermine the UN. France intends to reject Trump’s invitation over concerns that it would call into question ‘the principles and structure of the UN,’ while the UK govt has ‘severe reservations’ about the project’s legal framework.”

… “Yesterday, the former Danish PM and Danish Foreign minister Lars Rasmussen told me how surprised he’d been by Trump’s public threats on social media over the weekend because he thought Denmark had come to an agreement with JD Vance and Marco Rubio that the profound disagreement on Greenland would be negotiated away from social media.”

… Rasmussen: “We agreed that we should move this dialogue from social media and Truth Social. I thought, we have managed not to solve the problem, but to find a pathway forward. It was disrupted, by the statement from the president. And that's a reality of life.”

… “It’s a reality all leaders are dealing with, as Trump’s increasingly erratic behavior with allies makes the US almost impossible to deal with, though the UK position is that it must continue to try. Trump turning on Starmer after all the PM’s efforts to build a good relationship, is undoubtedly a blow and raises questions about how else Starmer might have dealt with Trump.”

… Trump posted: “Shockingly, our ‘brilliant’ NATO Ally, the UK, is currently planning to give away the Island of Diego Garcia, the site of a vital US Military Base, to Mauritius, and to do so FOR NO REASON WHATSOEVER. The UK giving away extremely important land is an act of GREAT STUPIDITY, and is another in a very long line of National Security reasons why Greenland has to be acquired. Denmark and its European Allies have to DO THE RIGHT THING.”

… BBC’s chief political correspondent Henry Zeffman: “No getting away from this being massively embarrassing, even humiliating, for Keir Starmer less than 24 hours after he gave a big speech defending his calm relationship with the US President. It will feel baffling, too, given the US endorsed the Chagos deal in May.”

… Trump also posted private text messages on Truth Social from several leaders in Europe. This one from NATO chief Mark Rutte: “Mr. President, dear Donald – what you accomplished in Syria today is incredible. I will use my media engagements in Davos to highlight your work there, in Gaza, and in Ukraine. I am committed to finding a way forward on Greenland. Can’t wait to see you. Yours, Mark.”

… UK political commentator Alastair Campbell: “As if Rutte was not embarrassed enough over calling Trump ‘daddy’ - this is even worse. Truly pathetic pandering to out of control narcissism.”

… Trump was asked about Macron not wanting to join his phony ‘Board of Peace’: Q - “Have you invited Putin to be a member of the board of peace? Trump: Yes. Q - Can you respond to Macron saying he will not join the board of peace? Trump: Nobody wants him. I’ll put a 200% tariff on his wines and he’ll join.”

… Zelensky isn’t happy about Trump inviting Putin to join his Board of Peace: “We have received an invitation to join the Board of Peace. Diplomats are working on this invitation. Russia is our enemy, and Belarus is its ally. To be honest, for now, it is very difficult for me to imagine how we could be together with Russia in any council. And it’s not about this peace council. It’s just that Russia is about the council of war. And Belarus is with them, namely, Lukashenko’s regime.”

… Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov: “Under Trump, the US became the only country that not only expressed understanding of the need to take Russia’s interests into account, but also proposed solutions that took into account the root causes of the current crisis, although we see how hysterically Europe and Zelensky with his team are trying to push the US away from this position and impose their own concepts again.”

… As many European leaders prevaricate, appease and try to placate Trump with public and private praise and flattery, Canadian PM Mark Carney gave the best speech at Davos today, cutting to the heart of the matter with moral clarity. Maybe it will sink in with others in attendance, which gave him a standing ovation.

… Carney: "American hegemony in particular helped provide public goods, open sea lanes, a stable financial system, collective security. But this bargain no longer works. Let me be direct. We are in the midst of a rupture, not a transition. Recently, great powers have begun using economic integration as weapons. Tariffs as leverage. Financial infrastructure as coercion. Supply chains as vulnerabilities to be exploited.”

… “You cannot live within the lie of mutual benefit through integration of economies when integration becomes the source of your subordination. If great powers abandon even the pretense of rules and values for the unhindered pursuit of their power and interest, the gains from transactionalism will become harder to replicate."

… "We stand firmly with Greenland and Denmark and fully support their unique right to determine Greenland's future. Our commitment to NATO's Article 5 is unwavering. Canada strongly opposes tariffs over Greenland."

… Alastair Campbell: “A standing ovation for Mark Carney at Davos. (Those do not happen often). Brutally honest assessment of the situation Trump is creating for the world and the new approach middle powers now need to take. One of those speeches worth reading in full.”

… Polish PM Donald Tusk agreed: “Appeasement is always a sign of weakness. Europe cannot afford to be weak - neither against its enemies, nor ally. Appeasement means no results, only humiliation. European assertiveness and self-confidence have become the need of the moment.”

… Gavin Newsom was also at Davos: “I can’t take this complicity of people rolling over. I should have brought a bunch of knee pads for all the world leaders. I mean handing out crowns, the Nobel prizes that are being given away. It’s just pathetic. And I hope people understand how pathetic they look on the world stage. Trump is a T-Rex. You mate with him or he devours you, one or the other, and you need to stand up to it. Stay tall and united.”

… Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) on CNBC: Q - “McConnell has said that if the president moves on Greenland, this would something that Republican senators would impeach him on. Are you in that camp? Tillis: I’m not going to go to impeachment. Let’s say it was a kinetic action - I’d immediately go for a War Powers resolution.”

… Tillis: “To be clear - I’m not critical of the president. I’m critical of the bad advice he’s getting on Greenland.”

… It’s always “the advisors” since these cowards are afraid to criticize Trump.

… Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA) to Meidas: “At some point, this institution has defend its constitutional authority. These guys are like potted plants. They’re so afraid of Trump, they don’t give a shit about anything. He’s blowing up the NATO alliance. We have allies sending troops and reinforcements to Greenland, viewing us as a conquering power - as an aggressor - and everyone here is silent. The Speaker says, ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’ Something’s not right. If I were somebody close to him, I’d get him medical help.”

… The Express (UK): “Russia is rejoicing at Trump’s quest to take over Greenland, portraying the move as further evidence of a deepening crisis within NATO and a strategic win for Moscow. Russian media have framed Trump as an unlikely catalyst for NATO’s internal unraveling. Several outlets have even depicted him as a historically significant figure, not for strengthening Western unity, but for accelerating its decline.”

… “Speaking in an extremely gleeful tone, Russian pundits for the Moskovsky Komsomolets, a Moscow Daily paper, said: ‘Europe’s at a total loss. It’s a pleasure to watch.’ The article went on to mock the idea of conflict within NATO itself, asking rhetorically: ‘Which NATO countries should start fighting one of NATO’s founding members? I’d watch that.’”

… EU leader Ursula Von Der Leyen: “When it comes to the security of the arctic region we share the objectives of the US, this is why the proposed tariffs are a mistake. We signed a trade deal with the US, in politics as in business a deal is a deal. When friends shake hands it must mean something. Plunging us in a downward spiral will only serve our adversaries. Our response will be unflinching and proportionate. The territorial integrity of Greenland is non-negotiable.”

… I’m not sure she fully understand Trump even now. With Trump, a deal is only a deal as long as he decides it is a deal. Then the deal will only apply to you, not him.

… Deutsche Bank’s Jim Reid says Europe is not without leverage if they ever decide to fight back: “Financial markets may play a big part in how this situation resolves itself. The main Achilles Heel of the US is the huge twin deficits. So while in many ways it feels like the US holds the economic cards, it doesn’t hold all the funding cards in a world that will be very disturbed by the weekend’s events.”

… Fortune: “Investors, analysts, and world leaders have long wondered when—or if—a debt crisis would occur in one of the nations burdened by a massive deficit. While the likes of Japan, the UK, and France are by no means balancing their books, America’s $38 trillion deficit dwarfs its counterparts. While a great deal of that debt is held by the public (including the Fed, where Trump is also in hot water), vast sums are also owned by foreign govts and overseas investors.”

… “This exposure—to the tune of $8 trillion—may be something European leaders decide to remind the WH of. Europe being America’s largest lender ‘illustrates the deep interdependence between the US and Europe but also shows that, at least theoretically, Europe also has leverage on the US” wrote Carsten Brzeski, global head of macro, and Bert Colijn, chief economist for the Netherlands.”

… “The EU also has a weapon in its arsenal that it has yet to deploy. Macron has suggested now is the time to use the EU’s Anti-Coercion Instrument. The tool is a set of countermeasures against any foreign powers that unduly interfere in the policy choices of the EU or its member states, by restricting US companies from accessing the European market, banning them from bidding for govt work, restricting trade, and curtailing foreign investment. The EU could also impose new tariffs on about $100 billion of its imports from the US.”

… Trump’s massive tax cuts for the wealthy along with huge increases for defense spending and DHS are exploding the national debt. The national debt is accelerating rapidly, currently close to $38.5 trillion, according to the latest Treasury Dept data. At the end of 2025, the US govt had $37.64 trillion in federal debt. In 2025, the national debt increased by $2.17 trillion compared to 2024.

… Fox Business analyst Charles Gasparino: “What caused Trump to back off his ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs? An implosion on the bond market, which threatened to take borrowing rates to new highs and disrupt the growing economy. Well, 10-year yields are spiking again over the Greenland-related trade war. We’re not were we were back in the April in terms of market volatility but you can feel it building at in my convos here in Davos.”

… Treasury Secretary Scott Bessett was interviewed by Fox at Davos: Q - “What do you want to say about the EU pushing back and saying they’re not going to complete their trade deal with the US because of Greenland? Bessent: I’d tell everyone sit back. Take a deep breath. Do not retaliate. Do not retaliate. The president will get his message across. Have an open mind.”

… Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) responded: “Stop pretending Trump is playing some genius long game. He’s not. He’s a deeply insecure idiot and he’ll gladly blow up the world order and screw over the entire country if it makes him feel big for 5 minutes.”

… Metro (UK): “Conservative and Labour MPs have become the first voices to call for a boycott of the World Cup this summer after Trump announced new tariffs on the UK. Simon Hoare and Kate Osborne said the govt needed to ‘push every button and pull every lever’ to show its objection to the US president’s threats towards Greenland. Hoare, a senior Conservative MP said that could include not going to the World Cup, a day after he called for the King’s state visit to the US to be cancelled.”

… “Labour MP Kate Osborne: “I support those calling for a boycott. Trump’s appalling record on human rights, climate change, his flagrant contempt for the rule of law, his attacks on democracy, and an illegal war in Venezuela is not enough for him. Now he is threatening Greenland and attacking our own govt and politicians. Last year there was huge public support for the successful campaign to refuse to legitimize Trump by allowing him the honor of addressing Parliament. We need to see the same now in relation to the World Cup.

… TV commentator and rabid World Cup fan Piers Morgan: “Maybe England, France, Spain, Germany, Portugal, Netherlands, Norway and Italy should all pause participation in the World Cup. 8 of the 10 favored teams to win withdrawing might concentrate some minds.”

… Hoare: “We should send as many messages as possible to the Trump admin and the American people that there are certain red lines in regards to upholding sovereignty and international affairs. If that means not going to the World Cup then we shouldn’t go to the World Cup. If it means cancelling a state visit, then we should cancel the state visit.”

… “Trump is looking forward to America hosting the World Cup and all the benefits that accords to America. We need to send a message to the WH that leadership has responsibilities. It doesn’t allow you to behave like some modern-day pirate, gangster, bully.”

Reminder there is no Bulletin tomorrow because I do my podcast Uncovered as well as Ask the Editor where I answer 5 of your questions. Please put any questions or any topic you want me to talk more about in your replies to this Bulletin. I expect tomorrow will be a wild day with Trump rolling into Davos, and that will lead off the show on Uncovered.

If you missed yesterday’s Bulletin, you can find it here. Thank you for supporting my work by sharing and subscribing.

… WSJ: “Americans, not foreigners, are bearing almost the entire cost of US tariffs, according to new research that contradicts a key claim by Trump and suggests he might have a weaker hand in a reemerging trade war with Europe. Trump has repeatedly claimed that his historic tariffs, deployed aggressively over the past year as both a revenue-raising and foreign-policy tool, will be paid for by foreigners.”

… “By analyzing $4 trillion of shipments between Jan 2024 - Nov 2025, the Kiel Institute researchers found that foreign exporters absorbed only about 4% of the burden of last year’s US tariff increases by lowering their prices, while American