President Donald Trump is refusing to rule out using force to seize Greenland. He has announced that he’s slapping tariffs on European countries that have opposed the U.S. taking over the Danish territory. And he recently implied in a text message to Norway’s prime minister that not winning the Nobel Peace Prize he believes he was due frees him up to attack the United States’ allies.
In that head-spinning series of comments, Trump appears to be embracing “madman theory” hardball tactics in his imperialistic agenda. But while there is at least a debate on whether acting like a madman can be useful against one’s foes, acting in such a way with one’s friends is as alarming as it is foolish. Indeed, Trump’s antics are bound to undermine his goal of U.S. primacy in the world.
Implying that he could seize territory from allies by force is disastrous for the Western order and the NATO alliance.
Madman theory in foreign policy argues that unpredictability and an apparent willingness to use force aggressively can help a political leader intimidate his opponents and achieve his geopolitical goals. Trump has exhibited madman tendencies as he’s alternated between apparent openness to negotiation and threats of extreme force when dealing with adversaries from North Korea to Iran to Hamas. Sometimes he has refrained from using force; other times he has not.
After Trump’s shocking ouster of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in an overnight raid, the officials in his administration seemed to glory in the idea that he could make good on his most improbable threats. After the operation, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth dared other leaders to call Trump’s bluff, saying Maduro “f’d around and found out.”
Now Trump seems to be reveling in projecting an image of himself as volatile and capable of anything to secure Greenland as a U.S. colony. When at a Tuesday news conference he was asked how far he’d go to acquire Greenland, he replied, “You’ll find out.”
Trump might think he’s being slick, but he’s steering the U.S. into dangerous territory that differs categorically from playing mind games with adversaries. Implying that he could seize territory from allies by force is disastrous for the Western order and the NATO alliance, destroying the fundamental currency of all social compacts: trust.








