Changing the Subject — Let’s Start with Greenland
Author: Greg Valliere
January 7, 2025
WHEN IN DOUBT, CHANGE THE SUBJECT — which is what the incoming Trump Administration is doing, lashing out at foreign leaders, the Washington Post and critics of higher tariffs.
THE GOAL is to generate headlines, which surely will occur as Donald Trump Jr. visits Greenland later this week. He won’t meet with many of the country’s political leaders but he will generate controversy back home in the U.S.
THE ELDER Trump said yesterday that “Greenland is an incredible place, and the people will benefit tremendously if, and when, it becomes part of our Nation,” Trump said on Truth Social. “We will protect it, and cherish it, from a very vicious outside World. MAKE GREENLAND GREAT AGAIN!”
TRUMP’S COMMENTS PALE next to Elon Musk’s extraordinary call for British voters to oust Prime Minister Keir Starmer for a wide range of alleged offenses, including his alleged passivity in a sex scandal last summer.
MUSK HAS GENERATED HUGE headlines with reckless charges against U.S. allies like the U.K. and Canada. His next target is Germany.
TRUMP’S BIG TARGET YESTERDAY was the Washington Post, which reported that a tariff hike might be scaled back to target certain key sectors like defense and technology rather than attempt a blanket tariff hike.
THIS COULD BE INTERPRETED AS backing down, which infuriates Trump, who said “The story in the Washington Post, quoting so-called anonymous sources, which don’t exist, incorrectly states that my tariff policy will be pared back. That is wrong,” Trump wrote. “The Washington Post knows it’s wrong. It’s just another example of Fake News.”
AS WE WROTE YESTERDAY, Trump may have difficulty meeting the promises he made during the campaign; it’s already clear that the country can’t afford all of Trump’s tax cuts. So why not revive a foolish attempt to wrest Greenland from Denmark?
SOURCES SAY THAT Trump is preparing a fierce crusade against the media. Musk will play a key role; he’s still very much unchecked and has already won a bitter GOP dispute over visas.
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