By Ben Meiselas
So do you remember the words I used to describe Trump in my afternoon news recap today? Don’t worry. I’ll repeat them here: Weak. Deranged. Senile. Slow. Pathetic.
Well, it turns out the world agreed.
Donald Trump has now backed away from his threats to invade or forcibly acquire Greenland, at least for now. And he did it the only way he knows how: by announcing a fake deal to try to save face.
After days of international outrage and a forceful, unified response from U.S. allies, Trump abruptly claimed that he had reached a “framework” agreement with Greenland, Denmark, and NATO. There were no terms and no specifics. Nothing.
While in Davos, Trump posted a statement asserting that he had a “very productive meeting” with Mark Rutte and that this meeting produced a future deal covering Greenland and even “the entire Arctic region.” According to Trump, this undefined arrangement would be “a great one for the United States of America and all NATO nations,” and he said he would suspend threatened tariffs as a result. It was classic Trump theater. Create a crisis, provoke backlash, then announce victory without resolving anything.
Our editor-in-chief Ron Filipkowski shared this meme to help explain it (he’s gotten a lot of use out of this one):
When reporters tried to pin Trump down on what this so-called deal actually included, he stammered and didn’t have much to say. “Uhhhhhhh… We have a concept of a deal… we’ll explain it down the line,” he deflected.
Asked whether the United States would still take ownership of Greenland, Trump offered only rambling answers about taking a “long-term view” of the region. Pressed further on duration and terms, he declared the deal “infinite.” No document. No ratification process.
By the way: this is also why I have spent so much time over the past year exposing all of Trump’s fake deals. The corporate media sure likes to parrot Trump’s lies as fact and give him the headlines he is desperately seeking. That’s just not how we roll. I always want you to be able to identify a fraud and a con from the outset.
Here’s what’s clear: Canada and Europe took on Trump — and won. This was a total surrender by Trump after he humiliated himself and the United States on the global stage. This is exactly why it’s so important to stand up to a bully. Appeasement is never the answer.
In the past few days, leaders in Canada and Europe publicly reaffirmed Greenland’s sovereignty and made clear that aggression would carry consequences. Greenland’s own leaders warned they would defend their autonomy. NATO allies underscored their mutual defense commitments. The EU threatened a “trade bazooka.” Faced with that reality, Trump folded. He then attempted to rebrand his retreat as evidence of his negotiating brilliance.
State-aligned media rushed to clean up the mess. Commentators who had spent weeks amplifying Trump’s demands for ownership of Greenland suddenly insisted that Trump’s so-called “infinite framework” was a masterstroke. Even some of Trump’s former officials admitted on air that they had no idea what the deal consisted of or what Trump now wanted. That confusion was telling. There was nothing to understand because there was nothing there.
The damage, however, is real. Trump’s reckless behavior forced allied nations to seriously discuss military contingencies involving the United States, something that would have been unthinkable not long ago. It accelerated efforts to form new trade and security partnerships that deliberately reduce reliance on Washington. It reinforced the perception that the United States, under Trump, is unpredictable and unstable (which happens to be the reality).
I am glad that Trump is not invading Greenland, at least for now. But relief should not be mistaken for reassurance. His words have proven to be disposable, and his threats have consequences even when he later retreats from them. This episode was not strength, leverage, or strategy. It was surrender under pressure, followed by a hollow declaration of victory meant to distract his supporters.
The world stood up to Donald Trump, and he blinked. Everything else is noise designed to hide that simple fact.
Watch my report on Trump’s surrender above. Thanks for subscribing.
