Bulwark Takes
Episode Title: Watch Scott Bessent Debase Himself Defending Trump’s Greenland Threats
Date: January 20, 2026
Host: Will Saletan
Featured Guests: Scott Bessent (U.S. Treasury Secretary), Kristen Welker (Meet the Press)
Overview
In this incisive episode, The Bulwark’s Will Saletan picks apart Scott Bessent's appearance on NBC's "Meet the Press," where Bessent attempts to justify President Trump's shocking threats against Europe regarding the potential U.S. acquisition of Greenland. The discussion focuses on the absurdity, logical fallacies, and authoritarian undertones embedded in both Trump’s pronouncements and Bessent’s public defenses. Through a systematic count-down of Bessent's most embarrassing rationalizations, the episode critiques the administration's aggressive posture, the manipulation of national security rhetoric, and the worrying implications for U.S. foreign policy and international norms.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Trump’s Threats Against Europe Over Greenland
- Trump posted on Truth Social that unless Europe agreed to sell Greenland, he would impose tariffs on several European nations, and ominously hinted that "strong measures will have to be taken"—including possible military confrontation.
- Will frames this as “completely insane,” setting the tone for examining the administration’s attempts to justify this position.
2. The 10 Most Embarrassing Rationalizations by Scott Bessent
[02:59] 1. We Don’t Want to Get Dragged Into a War
- Bessent: “If there were an attack on Greenland from Russia, from some other area, we would get dragged in. So better now…peace through strength.”
- Will’s Commentary: Points out the twisted logic—starting a conflict first to avoid being "dragged in" later.
“Why don't we just cut out the middlemen and we'll go in now and start our own war to take Greenland.” — Will Saletan [03:20]
[04:33] 2. It’s a National Emergency Because We Must Avoid a Future Emergency
- Bessent: “The national emergency is avoiding a national emergency. … [This is] a strategic decision by the President… to avoid a hot war."
- Will’s Commentary: Satirically notes that by this logic, “any situation is an emergency," making the term meaningless.
[05:36] 3. We Have Asymmetric Information
- Bessent: “We have asymmetric information.”
- Will’s Commentary: Mocks this as an excuse for lacking evidence; Europe and U.S. intelligence leaders disagree that there’s any new threat.
“Trump and Bessent have information that is so secret they haven’t shared it with anybody else. Almost as though they’re making it up.” — Will Saletan [05:40]
[07:51] 4. Assume Russia Attacks Without Warning
- Bessent: Uses Ukraine as an example.
- Will’s Commentary: Calls it a “dumb argument,” and notes Bessent “had to stop after the first sentence.”
[08:19] 5. Never Outsource “Our” Hemispheric Security
- Bessent: “We are not going to outsource our hemispheric security to other countries.”
- Will’s Commentary: Points out the arrogance—it's not just U.S. security, but the whole hemisphere; "justifying American world domination."
[09:13] 6. Europe Needs Our Security Umbrella
- Bessent: “European leaders… will understand they need to be under the US Security umbrella.”
- Will’s Commentary: Ridicules the idea—protection by way of threats is hardly reassuring.
[09:48] 7. Ukraine Will Collapse Without Us; Used as Leverage for Greenland
- Bessent: “What would happen in Ukraine if the US pulled its support out? The whole thing would collapse.”
- Will’s Commentary: Suggests this is a threat—“You give us Greenland, or we cut off Ukraine. What an absolute dirtbag.”
[10:45] 8. America Knows Best; No Moral Distinction With Crimea
- Welker: “How is this different than Russia’s annexation of Crimea?”
- Bessent: “I believe the Europeans will understand that this is best for Greenland, best for Europe, and best for the United States.”
- Will’s Commentary: Highlights the lack of any real moral distinction.
“His only answer is we know best, which is pretty much what Putin said about taking Ukraine.” — Will Saletan [10:52]
[11:29] 9. Danish Abuses in Greenland Justify U.S. Takeover (Ignoring U.S. History)
- Bessent: “Denmark has a terrible history with Greenlanders. There was forced sterilizations…”
- Will’s Commentary: Fact-checks—pointing to both Danish abuses and U.S. abuses against Native women.
“So if that kind of abuse means that Denmark should get out of Greenland, then the United States government should get the hell out of North America.” — Will Saletan [11:36]
[12:43] 10. Europe is Too Weak to Defend Greenland, So We Must Take It
- Bessent: “The United States, right now, we are the hottest country in the world…Europeans project weakness. The US Projects strength.”
- Will’s Commentary: Argues that Bessent positions the U.S. as the aggressor, daring Europe to defend Greenland—making America the “bad guys.”
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- Will Saletan [03:20]:
“Why don't we just cut out the middlemen and we'll go in now and start our own war to take Greenland.”
- Scott Bessent [02:59]:
“If there were an attack on Greenland from Russia, from some other area, we would get dragged in. So better now, peace through strength.”
- Will Saletan [05:40]:
“Trump and Bessent have information that is so secret they haven’t shared it with anybody else. Almost as though they’re making it up.”
- Will Saletan [09:55]:
“You give us Greenland, or we cut off Ukraine. What an absolute dirtbag.”
- Will Saletan [10:52]:
“His only answer is we know best, which is pretty much what Putin said about taking Ukraine.”
- Scott Bessent [11:29]:
“Denmark has a terrible history with Greenlanders. There was forced sterilizations up until the 80s or the 90s.”
- Will Saletan [12:57]:
“We are the bad guys in Greenland. And this whole disgusting interview by a punk in a suit who will say absolutely anything to justify American world domination is why the world needs to stand up to America.”
Timestamps for Key Segments
- [01:26] – Will’s introduction, overview of Trump’s Greenland threats
- [02:48] – Start of “Top 10 Rationalizations” breakdown
- [02:59] – Bessent: “We don’t want to get dragged in to a war”
- [04:33] – Bessent: Emergency to avoid another emergency
- [05:36] – Bessent: "We have asymmetric information"
- [07:51] – Bessent: Russia attacks without warning example
- [08:19] – Bessent: Hemispheric security
- [09:13] – Bessent: Europe needs U.S. security
- [09:48] – Bessent: U.S. support as leverage over Ukraine
- [10:45] – Comparison to Russia/Crimea
- [11:29] – Bessent on Danish abuses
- [12:43] – Bessent: Europe too weak, America must act
- [12:57] – Will’s conclusion: “We are the bad guys.”
Tone and Style
The episode is caustic and satirical, with Will Saletan’s commentary blending incredulity, sarcasm, and moral outrage at the administration’s tactics and ethical gymnastics. While showcasing Bessent’s verbal contortions, Saletan continually draws attention to the broader, troubling shift in U.S. posture—one where might makes right, and any rationale, no matter how absurd, can be drafted into the service of power politics.
Summary
This episode of Bulwark Takes offers a comprehensive, biting critique of both President Trump’s threats to Europe regarding Greenland and Scott Bessent’s televised rationalizations. Through a methodical takedown of each justification, the podcast highlights the dangerous logic of preemptive aggression, the misuse of national emergency powers, and the disturbing echo of imperial thinking.
By the end, listeners are left with a clear sense of the magnitude of the administration’s overreach—and the importance of resisting the normalization of such justifications in democratic society.