“Here’s the Scoop” – Danes React to Trump’s Greenland Threats; U.S. Lawmakers Debate Banning Social Media for Teens

NBC News | Host: Yasmin Dasgupta | Date: January 16, 2026

Episode Overview

In this episode, host Yasmin Dasgupta leads a fast-paced, insightful breakdown of two complex stories: the international uproar over President Trump’s renewed push to acquire Greenland from Denmark—with widespread outcry from Danish leaders and citizens—and the intensifying debate in Washington over whether to ban social media for teenagers. The episode features on-the-ground coverage from NBC correspondents in Copenhagen and Capitol Hill, plus eye-opening data, expert voices, and notable direct quotes from lawmakers and citizens.

Main Segment 1: U.S.–Denmark Fallout Over Trump’s Greenland Threats

Setting the Scene

• President Trump has threatened unspecified punitive measures—potentially tariffs—against countries opposing his push for the U.S. to acquire Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark.
• A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers (Republicans and Democrats) is in Copenhagen, meeting with Danish officials and signaling clear opposition to Trump’s stance.
• Danes and Greenlanders are described as increasingly anxious about U.S. intentions, with rumors and fears of even military intervention stirring public concern.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

American Lawmakers in Denmark

• Ryan Nobles (NBC Chief Capitol Hill Correspondent), on the ground in Copenhagen, highlights the rare spectacle of U.S. lawmakers publicly rebuking their own president’s foreign policy:
  • “It is a pretty strong act of defiance in many ways that these members of Congress would be so bold to travel to a place where Donald Trump is threatening to take some sort of action and say that they're not on the same page as the President of the United States.” (03:45)

Danish Political and Public Response

• Danish member of Parliament Rasmus Jarlov (Conservative Party, akin to GOP) told Nobles:
  • “Greenland is not for sale, the people of Denmark are not interested in selling it, and that it is a unifying issue among the members of Parliament.” (04:40)
• Nobles reflects overwhelming Danish public opposition:
  • “We've talked to a lot of people from Denmark, people that live in Copenhagen, and you cannot find a single person that's like, yeah, I'm at least open to it...They get emotional when they talk about it.” (04:48)
  • Some Danes fear retribution simply for speaking openly against Trump.

Fears for Greenland & NATO Implications

• Greenlanders reportedly losing sleep, with children worried about the prospect of seeing U.S. military planes overhead.
  • “People have a hard time sleeping because of this, that children are asking questions, worried that they're gonna see US Military planes over their homes in Greenland.” (05:55)
• Concerns that the crisis could fracture NATO and embolden U.S. adversaries (Russia, China).
  • “If you got into a situation where the United States were to attack its own ally...what does that mean for the stability of this alliance that's keeping Russia at bay, that's keeping China at bay?” (07:30)

Congressional Leverage and Trump’s Persistence

• Acquiring Greenland would require congressional approval and massive funds.
  • “The idea that he would need $700 billion to buy Greenland, he literally cannot do that without Congress saying, yes, you can do this... The United States treasury is not gonna print the money unless Congress says, you can do it.” (09:52)
• Yet, doubts linger about whether lawmakers will stand up to the President:
  • “We haven't seen Congress be willing to stand up to Donald Trump on a wide range of issues. What makes us think this is going to be the one thing they stand up to him on?” (09:57)
• Trump remains dogged in his ambitions:
  • “He truth socials about it. So it is a live ball, and it's one that I think we all need to take seriously, but certainly the people here in Denmark and the people in Greenland are taking seriously.” (11:17)

Notable Quotes

• Rasmus Jarlov (Danish MP):
  “Greenland is not for sale.” (04:40, paraphrased by Nobles)

• Ryan Nobles:
  “They get emotional when they talk about it...There's a sense of fear, particularly in Greenland, but also in Denmark, about the prospect of military intervention.” (05:44)

Key Timestamps

• [01:54] – Segment opens: Greenland situation update
• [03:42] – U.S. lawmakers meet Danish officials
• [04:34] – Danish political and public responses
• [05:55] – Anxiety and fear in Greenland
• [07:01] – NATO alliance stakes
• [09:00] – Legal, congressional limitations on Trump
• [11:00] – Trump’s persistence and political dynamics

Main Segment 2: U.S. Lawmakers Debate Banning Social Media for Teens

Setting the Scene

• Global momentum growing for legislative action to restrict teen access to social media following Australia’s ban (under 16).
• Senate Commerce Committee recently held hearings on age restrictions; bipartisan concern is evident.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Lawmakers' Personal Investment

• Many senators are parents themselves and empathize with constituents on the challenges of managing children’s digital lives.
  • Sen. Ted Cruz: “Any parent at home with a kid who has a phone is dealing with it, is struggling, needs more tools from this hearing.” (14:22)

Why Legislation Is Stalled

• Julie Serkin (Capitol Hill Correspondent): Cites two major hurdles:
  • “Big Tech has a lot of money... and number two, as Cruz told me, they're just too old to understand this.” (14:49)
• Neurological, developmental harm to teens is well-documented, with experts warning Gen Z is “the first generation... underperforming the previous generation...the culprit...is screen time, social media, this inability to connect, to be as creative and form original thoughts.” (15:48)

Public Support vs. Industry Lobbying

• Polling shows 2/3 of voters support some form of social media ban for teens. Lawmakers are motivated by constituent pressure as much as the issue itself.
  • “They are entirely motivated by the constituents that would reelect them in the next election.” (16:47)
• At the local level, bans are emerging in schools, but federal progress is haltingly slow.

International Comparisons

• Australia’s ban: 4.7 million youth accounts shut down; Prime Minister hails it as “world leading legislation.”
• U.S. lags behind; even making the minimum age 13 legally enforceable has only recently passed. “Is that stunning that that wasn't even being enforced?” (17:36)

The Money Problem

• Social media giants (Meta, TikTok, etc.) earn billions from teen users and have fought fiercely against federal regulation.
  • “Unless social media companies are forced and required by law to change their practices, they're not going to...ban their most profitable age group and their target consumers.” (19:21)

Presidential and Partisan Dynamics

• President’s stance is nuanced: champions safety reforms but relies on youth vote and digital outreach.

  • “He says that he wants to make social media, the online space, safer for kids...At the same time, he has delayed the sale of TikTok...He has a lot of young men in particular, but young people in general to thank for his win.” (20:25)

• Gridlock persists:

  • Even modest reforms, like the Kids Online Safety Act, have foundered due to lobbying:
    “They came really close in the Senate...and then it went nowhere in the House...big tech influence.” (21:58)

Notable Quotes

• Sen. Ted Cruz:
  “Any parent at home with a kid who has a phone is dealing with it, is struggling, needs more tools from this hearing.” (14:22)

• Julie Serkin:
  “Big Tech has a lot of money...and number two, as Cruz told me, they're just too old to understand this.” (14:49)

  “Gen Z is the first generation in our modern history that is underperforming the previous generation...the culprit, he said, is screen time.” (15:48, quoting expert)

  “They are entirely motivated by the constituents that would reelect them in the next election.” (16:47)

• Yasmin Dasgupta:
  “I have to keep social media away from you because that is against the law.” (19:58, summarizing parental need for regulation)

Key Timestamps

• [13:17] – Segment opens: U.S. may ban social media for teens
• [14:22] – Sen. Cruz highlights universal parental struggles
• [14:49] – Julie Serkin on barriers to legislation
• [15:48] – Expert testimony: Social media and Gen Z’s struggles
• [17:36] – International and state comparisons
• [18:38] – Money flows and the cost of inaction
• [20:25] – The President’s dilemma and political stakes
• [21:58] – Congressional gridlock and Big Tech lobbying

Quick Headlines (News-in-Brief, No Timestamps)

• ACLU Sues ICE: Alleging racial profiling of Somali and Latino Minnesotans. DHS calls accusations “categorically false.”
• Sanctions on Iran: U.S. targets top officials over crackdown on protesters and shadow banking.
• Gaza Update: Trump chairs a new peace board overseeing transition, with questions about international oversight and Israeli cooperation.
• Sports: LA Dodgers sign Kyle Tucker to a $240 million contract.
• Trendy Dating: Gen Z moves away from dating apps, reviving personal ads with several heartwarming stories.

Memorable Moments

• Emotional Danish Public Reacts:
  “People have a hard time sleeping because of this, that children are asking questions...” (05:55, Ryan Nobles)

• Absurdity Called Out:
  “The important thing to keep in mind here, Yasmin, is that everything Donald Trump wants, Greenland is willing to give...But Donald Trump has set this line in the sand—it's either I get it all, or I get nothing.” (08:30, Ryan Nobles)

• Lawmakers’ Digital Disconnect:
  “Some of them use flip phones, let alone understanding what smartphones do.” (17:36, Julie Serkin)

• Gen Z Struggles:
  “Gen Z is the first generation...underperforming the previous generation...the culprit...is screen time, social media, this inability to connect...” (15:48, expert quoted by Julie Serkin)

Tone and Style

The episode’s tone is brisk, accessible, and empathetic—pragmatic reporting mixed with occasional flashes of dry humor and real-world gravity, especially around the anxieties felt by Danes and parents alike.

Summary Takeaways

• President Trump’s Greenland ambitions have unified Danish opposition and made even U.S. lawmakers openly break with the White House, heightening European security anxieties.
• In the U.S., momentum for banning or restricting teen social media access is building, but faces entrenched industry resistance, political inertia, and generational digital divides.
• Both stories reflect deep public concern—whether about national sovereignty or children’s mental health—and underscore the limits of political action in the face of powerful interests and public skepticism.