Republican Sen. Thom Tillis has strongly criticized White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller’s recent comments suggesting the United States take control of Greenland, calling them “amateur” and “ridiculous” and urging President Donald Trump to fire those who make such suggestions.
“I’m tired of being stupid,” the retiring North Carolina senator said in a speech on the Senate floor Wednesday. “I want to give this president good advice because I want this president to leave a great legacy. And this nonsense about what’s going on in Greenland distracts from the great job he’s doing, and the amateurs who think this is a good idea should lose their jobs.”
In an interview with Jake Tapper on CNN’s “The Lead” on Monday, Miller asserted that the Trump administration’s official position is that “Greenland should be part of the United States.”
Miller also questioned Denmark’s claims to Arctic territory. “What is the basis for their territorial claim? What is their basis for Greenland as a Danish colony?” he said.
Tillis, who serves as the top Republican on the bipartisan Senate NATO Watch group, said Miller’s position in the White House does not entitle him to speak on behalf of the entire U.S. government.
“He does not speak for the United States government,” Tillis said.
“Mr. Miller said that the U.S. government – obviously Greenland should be part of the United States. That’s ridiculous,” he said.
Tillis also warned that Mueller’s comments were a distraction from the Trump administration’s military actions in Venezuela.
“What makes me cranky? Stupidity. What makes me cranky is when people don’t do their homework. What makes me cranky is when we turn around and make crazy comments about the Kingdom of Denmark having territory as our right, tainting the excellent execution of a mission that I fully support in Venezuela,” Tillis declared.
“Folks, your spare time is over. You cannot speak on behalf of this United States Senator or Congress,” he continued.
The North Carolina senator also emphasized the value of the NATO alliance and Denmark’s role in it. He pointed to Denmark’s “disproportionately high” contribution to the NATO response after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the United States, noting that Denmark lost 43 troops in Afghanistan, a country with a population of 6 million.
“Do you want me to go back to thanking the president for all the good things he’s done? And then give him good advice,” Tillis said.
Tillis spoke after he issued a joint statement with Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, criticizing the administration’s approach to Greenland. Tillis and Shaheen are co-chairs of the bipartisan Senate NATO Observers Group.
“When Denmark and Greenland make it clear that Greenland is not for sale, the United States must live up to its treaty obligations and respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark,” they said. “Any suggestion that our country would subject a NATO ally to coercion or external pressure undermines the principle of self-determination that our alliance defends.”
CNN’s Kit Maher contributed to this report.
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