Podcast Summary: Amanpour – “Trump Doubles Down on Greenland”

Date: January 19, 2026
Host: Bianna Golodryga (in for Christiane Amanpour)
Podcast: CNN’s Amanpour

Episode Overview

This episode investigates President Trump’s escalating campaign to bring Greenland under U.S. control, the resulting diplomatic crisis with Europe and NATO, and the impact on Greenlanders themselves. Key voices, including diplomats, security experts, and Greenlandic perspectives, debate the implications for sovereignty, transatlantic relations, Arctic security, and rising U.S. authoritarianism. Later, the episode marks Martin Luther King, Jr. Day with guest Kimberlé Crenshaw, discussing the current administration’s challenges to civil rights, followed by an extended conversation with a fired DOJ prosecutor about the politicization of American justice.

Key Discussion Segments and Insights

1. Trump’s Push for Greenland and the International Fallout

[00:46–07:09]

• President Trump’s Offensive: Trump pushes to annex Greenland, threatening tariffs on European countries that withhold support. In messages to Norwegian leadership, he ties his approach to being denied the Nobel Peace Prize, signaling motivations of personal vanity.
  • Quote: “Since Norway decided not to give me the Nobel Peace Prize, I no longer feel an obligation to think purely of peace.” – (Paraphrased Trump in a text, 00:46)
• European Response: Europe is considering drastic countermeasures—referred to as the “bazooka”—including blocking U.S. access to EU markets.
• Greenlandic Sentiment: Nick Robertson reports from Nuuk, Greenland’s capital:
  • Greenlanders feel powerless, with key diplomatic decisions made over their heads.
  • Public protests and unity signal a strong rejection of U.S. acquisition.
  • “They recognize they’ve got a lot of support in Europe at the moment… But the overall feeling is somewhat unable to really make a difference.” – Nick Robertson, [03:22]
  • Widespread uncertainty and fear among younger Greenlanders, with some discussing self-defense due to rising military tensions.
  • Greenlandic business leaders see potential benefits to U.S. economic ties—except at the cost of sovereignty.

Memorable Moment

Nick describes young Greenlanders anxiously tracking military planes on their phones, reflecting pervasive anxiety about U.S. intentions.
[05:09]

“Some of the young people I've talked to here... have told us, shown us their iPhones and said, look, this plane, this military plane is flying here. We're worried that it might be American. It turns out to be Danish.” – Nick Robertson

2. A Tectonic Shift in Transatlantic Relations

[07:09–22:55]

Guests:

• Sir Peter Westmacott (Former British Ambassador to the U.S.)
• Heather Conley (U.S. Arctic Security Expert)

A. NATO Alliance under Strain

[08:21–12:14]

• Westmacott calls the situation “unprecedented,” comparing Trump’s behavior to adversaries:

  “We've got used to the lies and the aggression of Vladimir Putin seeking to undermine NATO... But we did not expect this to come even from the unpredictable president of the United States.” – Sir Peter Westmacott [08:21]

• Trump’s repeated threats and linkage of tariffs to security viewed as “a foreign policy of revenge.”

B. Arctic Security and the U.S. Approach

[12:14–15:11]

• Conley emphasizes that the U.S. already holds substantial military presence and treaty rights in Greenland (1951 agreement), but Trump is “solely focused on ownership.”
• Canada and Denmark have responded with significant security investments in the Arctic, while the U.S. remains dependent on allies for resources and expertise.
• Growing Russian and Chinese interest in the Arctic highlighted, but the U.S. is described as having underinvested for decades.

C. The Roots of Crisis

• Westmacott reiterates legitimate security concerns about the Arctic, particularly as the ice melts and outside powers pursue resources. However, U.S. claims over Greenland’s sovereignty are counterproductive:

  “…to claim that America has to take possession of it... we're not at all convinced that's the right way of going about it.” – Sir Peter Westmacott [15:11]

• Disunity could damage NATO, especially at a time when “America’s NATO allies… have a common interest in trying to boost NATO security in the Arctic against a common enemy.” – Westmacott

D. U.S. Cabinet and Transatlantic Dissonance

[17:44]

• Treasury Secretary Bessant calls for U.S. control over Greenland, dismissing European objections:

  “The Europeans project weakness. The U.S. projects strength.” – Secretary Bessant [17:44]

• Conley laments lack of internal checks within U.S. leadership, noting European calm and unity but expressing “great sorrow” for potential trade conflict.

E. To Tariff or Not to Tariff?

[21:03]

• Westmacott notes UK PM Keir Starmer's reluctance to use tariffs as leverage, preferring dialogue over escalation, but concedes Europe may need to “rethink” reliance on U.S. security guarantees.

  “This is, after all, a completely self-inflicted crisis on NATO...” – Sir Peter Westmacott [21:03]

3. Martin Luther King Jr. Day: Civil Rights under Threat

[24:20–36:39]

Guest: Kimberlé Crenshaw (Law Professor & Civil Rights Advocate)

[25:24]

• Reflects on MLK’s legacy being mythologized, whereas in reality he warned of the dangers of turning away from inclusive democracy.

  “There is a faction in this country that would rather break it rather than share it.” – Kimberlé Crenshaw [25:24]

• Criticizes Trump’s rollback of DEI protections and attacks on civil rights. Asserts that the right is attempting to erase the true breadth of King’s activism.
• Cites the “big lie” strategy:

  “One of the features of an authoritarian is the ability to tell a big lie and to continue to rehearse that big lie to the point that it becomes such a part of the background noise that it’s not challenged anymore.” – Crenshaw [31:05]

• Discusses the re-framing of civil rights efforts as attacks on white Americans:

  “Any effort to integrate and to make equitable policies constitutes discrimination against white people. That’s what’s at stake right now.” – Crenshaw [33:53]

• Warns of the movement to erase American history and how that erodes democracy:

  “The fight for our museums and for our memory is a critical bulwark against the unraveling of American democracy.” – Crenshaw [36:07]

4. Politicization and Weaponization of the U.S. Justice Department

[38:42–53:18]

Guest: Mike Gordon (Former DOJ Prosecutor, fired for 1/6 work), Interviewed by Hari Sreenivasan

• Gordon alleges DOJ is now driven by political vendetta, not the facts or law.

  “What I've been seeing... is starting with the target and then working backwards to try and figure out what crime they might be able to charge.” – Mike Gordon [39:04]

• Discusses unconstitutional targeting of congressional speech and the relaxation of normal DOJ prosecution standards during election years.
• On the investigation of Fed Chair Jerome Powell:

  “President Trump appears to have turned instead to using the law as a billy club, to use the Department of Justice as a means to exert coercion over Chairman Powell...it should scare all Americans.” – Gordon [41:47]

• Judges increasingly dismiss DOJ indictments for sloppiness, showing a breakdown of professional standards:

  “The credibility of the Department of Justice has been just gutted over the course of the past few months.” – Gordon [45:29]

• Recent resignation (or firing) of multiple career prosecutors, especially in Minneapolis, for being told not to pursue civil rights charges—Gordon calls this a betrayal of constitutional values.
• Gordon describes his own sudden dismissal, linking it to his work on January 6 prosecutions, and is currently suing the government for illegal termination.
• Concludes by highlighting hypocrisy in the administration’s treatment of January 6th rioters (“pardoned”) versus Renee Goode (“domestic terrorist”).

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• Greenlanders' Resilience:
  “Not for sale. Hands off of Greenland.” – Protest Slogan, [03:22]
• On Unprecedented Crisis:
  “This is indeed strange…genuinely unprecedented.” – Sir Peter Westmacott, [08:21]
• On Authoritarian Rhetoric:
  “There is a faction in this country that would rather break it rather than share it.” – Kimberlé Crenshaw, [25:24]
• On DOJ Politicization:
  “What I've been seeing... is starting with the target and then working backwards.” – Mike Gordon, [39:04]
• On the Erosion of Justice:
  “The credibility of the Department of Justice has been just gutted…” – Mike Gordon, [45:29]

Timestamps for Big Segments

• Greenland crisis opens (Trump’s moves, European response): [00:46–03:22]
• Greenlanders speak (Nick Robertson in Nuuk): [03:22–07:09]
• NATO and Transatlantic Rift (Westmacott & Conley): [07:09–22:55]
• MLK Day, Civil Rights under Pressure (Crenshaw): [24:20–36:39]
• The Weaponization of DOJ (Mike Gordon): [38:42–53:18]

Tone & Language

Throughout the episode, the tone is urgent, analytical, and at times sorrowful. The guests’ language reflects gravitas and deep concern for democratic principles—there’s a clear emphasis on unprecedented political and diplomatic behavior, the erosion of norms, and the sense of a global order under strain.

Summary for New Listeners

This dense episode provides essential insight into U.S.–European relations threatened by President Trump’s Greenland ambitions, offering ground-level Greenlander voices and elite diplomatic analysis. The MLK Day discussion with Kimberlé Crenshaw reframes American memory and the current attack on civil rights. Finally, the legal segment offers a candid, troubling view from a DOJ insider about the dangers of justice politicization.

If you missed the show, this episode will catch you up on one of the tensest moments for U.S. foreign policy and domestic civil rights in recent history.