European leaders have threatened retaliation after President Trump’s tariff threats targeting eight countries opposing his reported Greenland bid. The EU is considering reviving tariffs on €93bn ($108bn) of US goods and possibly using its anti-coercion "big bazooka." Meanwhile, domestic and international political fallout continues: the Pentagon placed 1,500 Alaska-based troops on prepare-to-deploy orders for protests in Minnesota, investigations and intimidation claims swirl around the administration, and controversies range from FIFA awarding a peace prize to Trump to new "America First" financial products.
EU Weighs Retaliatory Sanctions After Trump’s Tariff Threats — Political Fallout Spreads
Military personnel from the German armed forces board a plane leaving Nuuk, Greenland, on January 18. EU leaders have been considering retaliatory measures over Trump’s threats of tariffs.Photograph: Alessandro Rampazzo/AFP/Getty Images(Photograph: Alessandro Rampazzo/AFP/Getty Images)
European leaders are considering punitive economic measures against the United States after President Donald Trump threatened new tariffs on imports from eight countries that oppose his reported bid to acquire Greenland. Officials from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the UK, the Netherlands and Finland warned that such threats "undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral," and affirmed their commitment to defending national sovereignty.
The EU's top diplomats held crisis talks on Sunday to discuss reviving a suspended plan to impose tariffs on €93bn ($108bn) of US goods — a measure that was paused after last year’s trade deal with the Trump administration. French President Emmanuel Macron reportedly urged colleagues to consider activating the EU’s anti-coercion instrument, nicknamed the "big bazooka," if Washington follows through on its threats. Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called any retaliatory tariffs a mistake, while the Dutch foreign minister described the US threats as "blackmail." The anti-coercion law, never used to date, would allow the EU to impose punitive economic steps on a country seeking to coerce policy changes.
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Republican Concern Over Greenland Remarks: Trump’s repeated comments about seizing or otherwise obtaining Greenland have drawn criticism from within his own Republican Party, with some lawmakers warning the move could harm the US economy and strain NATO ties.
Troop Preparations Amid Domestic Protests: The Pentagon ordered about 1,500 active-duty soldiers in Alaska to prepare for a possible deployment to Minnesota, where large protests have followed a government deportation operation. US officials told Reuters the order is precautionary; it remains unclear whether troops will actually be sent. President Trump has threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act to deploy federal forces if state officials do not prevent protesters from obstructing immigration enforcement.
Investigations and Intimidation Claims: Senator Elissa Slotkin, a Democrat from Michigan, says she is under investigation after producing a video urging service members to refuse "illegal orders." Reports say Senator Mark Kelly and three House Democrats are also being investigated. Slotkin accused the administration of using tactics reminiscent of authoritarian regimes to intimidate critics.
White House Press Office Tensions: An audio exchange reported by the New York Times captured White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt warning CBS News to air an interview with President Trump "in full and without edits" — adding, according to the report, a threat to sue if the network did not comply. Leavitt relayed that the president wanted the interview broadcast uncut.
Political Maneuvering: Trump has intervened in Republican politics by publicly giving his "complete and total endorsement" to a potential primary challenger to Senator Bill Cassidy, escalating a personal and political feud.
FIFA Controversy: There is reportedly embarrassment within FIFA after the organization awarded its newly created peace prize to President Trump at the World Cup draw in Washington, DC. FIFA president Gianni Infantino praised Trump at the ceremony, comments that have since generated internal criticism.
Other Notable Developments: A New York artist has alleged she was targeted by Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, who she says used the promise of a university education to recruit victims. Financially, the Trump Media exchange-traded funds launched in December are being marketed as "America First" investments positioned against environmental, social and governance (ESG) funds. In Minneapolis, hundreds of counterprotesters disrupted a small far-right rally supporting the administration’s immigration crackdown. Internationally, far-right members of Israel’s governing coalition rejected a US-backed plan for postwar governance in Gaza, and Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian warned that any attack on Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei would amount to a declaration of war.
Catch-up: Events described reflect reporting through Saturday, 17 January.
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