Sen. Tillis Slams Stephen Miller’s 'Stupid' Greenland Proposal in Fiery Senate Rebuttal

North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis delivered an eight-minute floor rebuke Wednesday after White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller suggested on CNN that the United States should "own" Greenland, the semi-autonomous territory of Denmark. Tillis called the notion "amateur," "stupid," and "nonsense," warning that such offhand comments risk turning casual talk into dangerous policy signals.

Tillis Rejects Offhand Foreign-Policy Pronouncements

In a pointed speech, the 65-year-old Republican reminded the administration that changing sovereignty or acquiring territory is not unilateral presidential whim—it would require congressional action and a formal process.

"It has been the formal position of the U.S. government since the beginning of this administration—frankly, going back into the previous Trump administration—that Greenland should be part of the United States," Miller told CNN host Jake Tapper on Tuesday. "The president has been very clear about that."

"The United States is the power of NATO. For the United States to secure the Arctic region, to protect and defend NATO and NATO interests, obviously, Greenland should be part of the United States," Miller added.

Tillis blasted those remarks as reckless commentary that does not reflect the constitutional role of Congress. "We are a co-equal branch, and if that were to come to pass, there would be a vote on the floor to make it real," he said, criticizing what he called the "surreal" habit of airing major foreign-policy proposals as TV talking points.

Military, Allies, And Process

The senator argued senior military leaders and NATO partners would be unlikely to support any unilateral attempt to seize territory and emphasized that the NATO alliance has underpinned transatlantic security for more than 75 years. "The flip side could be that Mr. Miller or somebody else said, 'Hey, this will be cool. Let's take over Greenland. It'll be like a big aircraft carrier.' Well, that's stupid, too. And I'm sick of stupid," Tillis said.

Miller and his wife, Katie, have been vocal about their support for a U.S. takeover of Greenland. / Tom Williams / CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

Tillis concluded by urging the administration to avoid distractions created by what he called "nonsense" and saying those who promoted the idea "should lose their jobs."

Reactions And Context

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday. A statement issued the day before said President Trump and aides were "discussing a range of options to pursue this important foreign policy goal, and of course, utilizing the U.S. military is always an option at the commander-in-chief's disposal."

Several Republican senators, including Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Susan Collins of Maine, and Rand Paul of Kentucky, have publicly questioned or criticized the idea of pursuing control of Greenland, citing alliance obligations and international norms.

Last year, Tillis announced he would not seek reelection after a public clash with President Trump over a proposed "big, beautiful" megabill that Tillis opposed because of healthcare cuts. That dispute highlighted growing tensions between the senator and the president's inner circle.

Why it matters: The exchange underscores friction within the Republican party over foreign-policy process and the risks of major strategic debates being aired in media soundbites rather than through institutional channels.