‘Not to worry, this too shall pass,’ GOP Senators seek to reassure Denmark and Greenland

Republican U.S. Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina sought to strike a calming note after a meeting with Danish and Greenlandic officials in Copenhagen earlier today, telling reporters on his way into a press briefing “not to worry, this too shall pass.”

Tillis is in Copenhagen with a bipartisan group of American lawmakers who seek to reassure Denmark and Greenland following repeated threats by President Donald Trump toward Greenland and at signaling that Congress — including Republicans — does not share the White House’s confrontational approach.

Speaking at the press briefing, Democratic Senator Chris Coons described Denmark as a “trusted ally and partner” and said the delegation had held a “strong and robust dialogue” focused on the future of the transatlantic relationship.

“We spoke with clarity about the importance that the people of Greenland make their decisions about their future,” the Democratic Senator of Delaware said of the meeting.

Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska explicitly distanced Congress from the idea of U.S. control over Greenland, saying the proposal lacked support among Americans.

“When you ask the American people whether or not they think it is a good idea for the United States to acquire Greenland, the vast majority will say we do not think that that is a good idea,” Murkowski said.

“This senator from Alaska does not think it is a good idea,” she added.

Murkowski said Greenland should be viewed as an ally rather than an asset and pointed to Congress’s constitutional powers, including control over federal spending, as a check on unilateral presidential action.

Greenlandic member of the Danish parliament Aaja Chemnitz welcomed the visit, saying dialogue with U.S. lawmakers was essential at a time when people in Greenland were feeling pressure and uncertainty. She said the meetings reflected a shared commitment to cooperation through NATO and to continued engagement rather than confrontation.

Danish MP Christian Friis Bach said the discussions were of crucial importance during what he described as an uncertain time for the Kingdom of Denmark, stressing that partnership and security must be built on trust and mutual respect.

Asked whether Congress would move to constrain the president’s ability to act unilaterally on Greenland, Coons said he would support such measures, while stressing that the purpose of the visit was to lower tensions.

“There’s a lot of rhetoric but there’s not a lot of reality in the current discussion in Washington,” Coons said. “The point of this trip is to listen respectfully to our friends and allies and bring those perspectives back to the United States so we can have a more constructive dialogue.”