French armed forces member during a military drill in Kangerlussuaq, Greenland, September 17, 2025. REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane/File Photo
Punchbowl News reporter Andrew Desiderio is on the ground in Denmark as President Donald Trump escalates tensions with European allies over his possible military takeover of Greenland.
U.S. lawmakers visited Copenhagen in an effort to "credibly reassure an ally" that the U.S. will not violate the NATO treaty.
"The consequences extend far beyond the potential unraveling of NATO. In many ways, this particular CODEL was an example of Congress trying to confront a monster it helped create: An Institution so feeble that constitutional checks and balances are no longer an effective reassurance," the report said.
Congress has yet to confront Trump over his antics, allowing him to rewrite tariff rules and decide which congressionally funded programs will be cut. Now that Trump is talking about a potential war with Europe, Congress seems desperate to deescalate international tensions.
"Yeah, Donald Trump concerns me, but what really concerns me is our willingness to give it up because we don't want to make hard decisions," said Rep Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.)
Punchbowl News also spoke with Danish Democratic counterpart, Flemming Møller Mortensen, who said that reassurances from congressional lawmakers are meaningful but they're not a promise.
Trump will be at the Davos conference on Thursday. That same day the European Union will hold an emergency meeting to discuss his threats.
