U.S. putting 'unacceptable pressure' on Greenland with unsolicited visit, says Danish PM
High-profile delegation comes as Trump reiterates that U.S. should take over
The United States is exerting "unacceptable pressure" on Greenland, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said on Tuesday, ahead of an unsolicited visit by a high-profile U.S. delegation to the semi-autonomous Danish territory this week.
The visit to an American military base will include U.S. Vice-President JD Vance, his wife Usha Vance, White House National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and Energy Secretary Chris Wright.
The U.S. vice-president said on the social media platform X on Tuesday that he will visit Greenland on Friday. His wife had been scheduled to watch a dog sled race on Friday, but that was cancelled and she will instead visit the Pituffik Space Base, the vice-president's office said.
"We're going to check out how things are going there," Vance said in a video accompanying his post on X. "Speaking for President Trump, we want to reinvigorate the security of the people of Greenland because we think it's important to protecting the security of the entire world."
U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday reiterated his suggestion that the U.S. should take over Greenland, saying the vast island was important for U.S. national security. Frederiksen has rejected the proposal, saying it is up to the people of Greenland to decide their future.
"I have to say that it is unacceptable pressure being placed on Greenland and Denmark in this situation. And it is pressure that we will resist," she told Danish broadcasters DR and TV2.
Greenland's acting head of government, Múte Egede, has labelled the visit a "provocation," as it coincides with government coalition talks and municipal elections scheduled for the following week.
"This is a charm offensive without the charm," said Noa Redington, an analyst and former adviser to previous Danish prime minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt.
"And everyone is upset because it's so obvious that this is about intimidating the Greenlandic people and provoking Denmark."
Greenland PM calls U.S. delegation’s visit a provocation'Strong signal of respect'
Since Donald Trump Jr.'s private visit to the mineral-rich island in January, the U.S. president has consistently discussed annexation of Greenland and urged Greenlanders to join the United States.
Polls have shown that nearly all Greenlanders oppose joining the U.S.
Earlier this month, anti-American protesters gathered in the capital Nuuk and in several other towns across the island, in some of the largest demonstrations ever seen in Greenland.
On Monday, Trump said that his administration was working with "people in Greenland" who want something to happen, but did not elaborate.
Kuno Fencker welcomed the visit, saying it was "an honour and a strong signal of respect." Fencker is a member of Greenland's parliament for the nationalist and strongly pro-independence Naleraq party, which came in second in a March 11 general election.
Greenland
is seen from the window of a plane that carried Canadian Prime Minister
Mark Carney on a recent overseas trip to Europe. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press)
"They are welcome in Greenland," he said, adding that he had not been in contact with the U.S. administration about the visit.
Brian Hughes, spokesperson for the White House National Security Council, said the delegation aimed to "learn about Greenland, its culture, history and people."
'He wants Greenland'
Frederiksen disputed the notion of a private visit with official representatives.
"The visit is clearly not about what Greenland needs or wants," she said. "President Trump is serious. He wants Greenland. Therefore, [this visit] cannot be seen independently of anything else."
Frederiksen said Denmark did not oppose ties with the United States, citing a 1951 bilateral agreement that established U.S. rights to move freely and construct military bases in Greenland, given Denmark and Greenland are notified.
"We are allies," she said. "There is no indication either in Denmark or Greenland that we do not want co-operation with the Americans."
Egede has called for more robust support from allies against the U.S.
Frederiksen said, "There is massive support from the Nordic countries and the EU, so we have our allies and close partners with us."
Dwayne Ryan Menezes, founder and managing director of the London-based Polar Research and Policy Initiative think-tank, said that the Trump administration's "intimidation" of Greenland could backfire.
Menezes said if Trump was "smart enough" to understand Greenland's strategic importance that he should also be "smart enough to know there is no greater way to weaken America's hand and hurt its long-term interests than turning its back on its allies, the principal asymmetrical advantage it enjoys over its adversaries."
With files from The Associated Press
BREAKING NEWS: Trump Signs Multiple Executive Orders While Taking Questions From Reporters
Forbes Breaking News 
White House official confirms Yemen strike plans were mistakenly texted to journalist
Text chain 'appears to be authentic,' U.S. National Security Council says
Top national security officials for U.S. President Donald Trump, including his defence secretary and vice-president, texted about war plans for upcoming military strikes in Yemen to a group chat in a secure messaging app that included the editor-in-chief for The Atlantic, the magazine reported in a story posted online Monday.
Brian Hughes, a U.S. National Security Council spokesperson, said the text chain "appears to be authentic and we are reviewing how an inadvertent number was added to the chain."
Trump initially told reporters he was not aware that the sensitive information had been shared, two and a half hours after it was reported. He later appeared to joke about the breach.
The material in the text chain between Signal accounts that appear to belong to top Trump officials, including U.S. Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth and U.S. Vice-President J.D. Vance, "contained operational details of forthcoming strikes on Iran-backed Houthi-rebels in Yemen, including information about targets, weapons the U.S. would be deploying, and attack sequencing," editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg reported.
It was not immediately clear if the specifics of the military operation were classified, but they often are and at the least are kept secure to protect service members and operational security. The U.S. has conducted airstrikes against the Houthis since the militant group began targeting commercial and military vessels in the Red Sea in November 2023.
Just two hours after Goldberg said he received the details of the attack on March 15, the U.S. began launching a series of airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen.
'I know nothing about it': Trump
Goldberg said he received the Signal invitation from Mike Waltz, Trump's national security adviser, who was also in the group chat.
Hegseth in his first comments on the matter attacked Goldberg as "deceitful" and a "discredited so-called journalist" while alluding to previous critical reporting of Trump from the publication. He did not shed light on why Signal was being used to discuss the sensitive operation or how Goldberg ended up on the message chain.
"Nobody was texting war plans and that's all I have to say about that," Hegseth said in an exchange with reporters after landing in Hawaii on Monday as he began his first trip to the Indo-Pacific as defence secretary.
Goldberg responded to Hegseth's denial in an interview on CNN late on Monday by saying, "No, that's a lie. He was texting war plans."
In a statement late Monday, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said the president still has the "utmost confidence" in Waltz and the national security team.
Earlier Monday, Trump told reporters, "I don't know anything about it. You're telling me about it for the first time." He added that The Atlantic was "not much of a magazine."
By early evening, the president jokingly brushed it aside. He amplified a social media posting from Elon Musk spotlighting a conservative satirical news site article with the cutting headline: "4D Chess: Trump Leaks War Plans to 'The Atlantic' Where No One Will Ever See Them."
U.S.
President Donald Trump speaks during a cabinet meeting at the White
House in Washington on Monday. Trump told reporters he was not aware of
the apparent breach in protocol. (The Associated Press)
Government officials have used Signal for organizational correspondence, but it is not classified and can be hacked. Privacy and tech experts say the popular end-to-end encrypted messaging and voice call app is more secure than conventional texting.
The sharing of sensitive information comes as Hegseth's office has just announced a crackdown on leaks of sensitive information, including the potential use of polygraphs on defence personnel to determine how reporters have received information.
Sean Parnell, a spokesperson for Hegseth, did not immediately respond to requests for comment on why the defence secretary posted war operational plans on an unclassified app.
'Stunning' and 'dangerous' breach: lawmakers
The breach in protocol was swiftly condemned by Democratic lawmakers. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer called for a full investigation.
"This is one of the most stunning breaches of military intelligence I have read about in a very, very long time," Schumer, a New York Democrat, said in a floor speech Monday afternoon.
"If true, this story represents one of the most egregious failures of operational security and common sense I have ever seen," said Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, in a statement.
He said American lives are "on the line. The carelessness shown by Trump's Cabinet is stunning and dangerous. I will be seeking answers from the Administration immediately."
Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said in a statement that he was "horrified" by the reports.
Himes said if a lower-ranking official "did what is described here, they would likely lose their clearance and be subject to criminal investigation. The American people deserve answers," which he said he planned to get at Wednesday's previously scheduled committee hearing.
Some Republicans also expressed concerns.
Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi, who chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee, told reporters Monday, "We're very concerned about it and we'll be looking into it on a bipartisan basis."
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said he wants to learn more about what happened.
"Obviously, we got to to run it to the ground, figure out what went on there," said Thune, a South Dakota Republican.
Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson offered a notably forgiving posture.
"I think it would be a terrible mistake for there to be adverse consequences on any of the people that were involved in that call," Johnson said. "They were trying to do a good job, the mission was accomplished with precision."
Governed by Espionage Act
The handling of national defence information is strictly governed by law under the century-old Espionage Act, including provisions that make it a crime to remove such information from its "proper place of custody" even through an act of gross negligence.
The U.S. Justice Department in 2015 and 2016 investigated whether former U.S. secretary of state Hillary Clinton broke the law by communicating about classified information with her aides on a private email server she set up, though the FBI ultimately recommended against charges and none were brought.
In the administration of former U.S. president Joe Biden, some officials were given permission to download Signal on their White House-issued phones, but were instructed to use the app sparingly, according to a former national security official who served in the Democratic administration.
The official, who requested anonymity to speak about methods used to share sensitive information, said Signal was most commonly used to communicate what they internally referred to as "tippers" to notify someone when they were away from the office or travelling overseas that they should check their "high side" inbox for a classified message.
The app was sometimes also used by officials during the Biden administration to communicate about scheduling of sensitive meetings or classified phone calls when they were outside the office, the official said.
The use of Signal became more prevalent during the last year of the Biden administration after federal law enforcement officials warned that China and Iran were hacking the White House as well as officials in the first Trump administration, according to the official. The official was unaware of top Biden administration officials — such as former U.S. vice-president Kamala Harris, former U.S. defence secretary Lloyd Austin and former national security adviser Jake Sullivan — using Signal to discuss sensitive plans as the Trump administration officials did.
Some of the toughest criticism on Monday targeted Hegseth, a former Fox News Channel weekend host.
Sen. Tammy Duckworth, an Iraq War veteran, said on social media that Hegseth, "the most unqualified Secretary of Defense in history, is demonstrating his incompetence by literally leaking classified war plans in the group chat."
With files from Reuters
From: Donald Trump Jr. <donjr@email.donjr.com>
Date: Tue, Mar 25, 2025 at 4:26 PM
Subject: House GOP holding hearings on activist judges
To: Friend <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>
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Border-straddling library raises $140K for renovations after U.S. limits Canadian access
'There's no words strong enough to say thank you,' says president of library's board of trustees
Sylvie Boudreau says she is full of gratitude after receiving thousands of donations and over $140,000 to help renovate the entrance of the Stanstead, Que., library that straddles the border with the United Stats.
"It is crazy. It's overwhelming …I have contractors starting working," said Boudreau, president of the library's board of trustees.
Built in 1904, the Haskell Free Library and Opera House needs to renovate an emergency exit to become an accessible main entrance for Canadians after the U.S. government announced it is limiting access to that entrance, which is located steps into Derby Line, Vt.
As part of those restrictions, Canadians need a library membership to access the building through the entrance that's located on the American side of the border. And come Oct. 1, those restrictions will get even tougher.
Boudreau says the library will open a side entrance to the Canadian public on Tuesday but is already looking to build a proper door soon after.
The
Haskell Free Library and Opera House straddles the Canada-U.S. border
in Stanstead, Que., and Derby Line, Vt. (Don Emmert/AFP/Getty Images)
Launching a Go Fund Me campaign on Friday, Boudreau says the library already surpassed its goal.
"All that money in that short time, I've never seen something like that," said Boudreau.
"There's no words strong enough to say thank you to everyone. And I never thought in my wildest dream that this would happen."
She says this shows that the library will continue to be a place of unification, "even if some are trying to divide us."
On
March 21 Americans stood on their side of the border to watch a news
conference about the Haskell Free Library and Opera House in Stanstead,
Que. (The Canadian Press/Christinne Muschi)
The building has been declared a heritage site in both countries and has long been considered a symbol of harmony between Canada and the U.S.
Until now, the library was considered a neutral location, allowing Canadians to visit without having to go through the procedures of a normal border, with patrol officers ensuring that visitors go back home once they exit the library.
But on Friday, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said during the decades it has allowed customers of the library to access its sidewalk without inspection, the area has witnessed a "continued rise in illicit cross-border activity."
Quebec town pushes back as U.S. tightens access to iconic border-straddling libraryUntil Oct. 1, non-library members attempting to enter the U.S. via the sidewalk next to the library will be redirected to the nearest port of entry — an approximately three-minute walk from the library, it says.
As of Oct. 1, all visitors from Canada wishing to use the front entrance will be required to present themselves at a port of entry to enter the library from the United States, said CBP.
'The people are are behind us,' says mayor
Jody Stone, Stanstead's mayor, spoke out against the U.S. government's decision at a news conference on Friday. Since then, he says he's received emails and messages from people around the world.
"It's really impressive on how much the people are behind us," said Stone.
"Canadians and Americans on the border have long been friends and allies so when one is being attacked the other comes and helps."
A
line crossing the Haskell Library and Opera House in Stanstead, Que.,
marks the border between Canada and the United States in this 2019
photo. The library has long been a symbol of harmony between the two
countries. (Paul Chiasson/The Canadian Press)
Regarding renovations, he says the town is focused on making sure this matter is "at the top of our pile."
For now, Boudreau she's waiting on quotes from contractors and will then approach Heritage Quebec and Heritage Vermont with the plans.
Since the building is granite, she says they have to work with an existing entrance.
"It would be great to have another beautiful wooden door ... We will make it happen," said Boudreau. "There's a lot of work to do."
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'Offensive and false': Alberta premier's office denies Smith urged U.S. to interfere in federal election
Smith told U.S. officials she hoped they'd put tariffs 'on pause' until after the election
The office of Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is vehemently denying accusations that she asked the U.S. to interfere in Canadian federal politics, as comments Smith made during an interview with an American news outlet earlier this month made waves this weekend.
Smith, along with other Canadian political leaders, has been lobbying U.S. counterparts against placing the stiff tariffs President Donald Trump wants on Canadian goods. Part of her effort has included speaking with American news media.
During a March 8 interview with Breitbart, a right-wing U.S. media company, Smith said the Conservative Party of Canada was far ahead of the governing Liberal Party in polls before the trade war. But the threat of "unjust and unfair tariffs" had boosted Liberal support.
Smith told U.S. administration officials that she hoped "we could put things on pause," so Canada could get through an election, she told Breitbart. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is more aligned with the Trump administration's agenda, Smith said.
Any suggestion that Smith asked the U.S. to interfere in Canada's election is "offensive and false," her press secretary, Sam Blackett, told CBC News in a statement.
The Breitbart interview occurred before the Liberals elected Mark Carney as party leader, and before he called a federal election Sunday morning.
Lisa Young, a University of Calgary professor of political science, said Poilievre is struggling to shake the perception that he is too friendly with Trump and the U.S. administration.
"And so here his ally Danielle Smith has made this comment that is probably going to be used against him," Young said.
"I think Conservatives are probably not happy with the premier because of that.
"And people who are maybe not Conservatives aren't very happy because the idea that she's chatting with the administration and trying to get them not to stop the tariffs, but to pause them during this campaign, it really does seem improper."
Trade dispute benefits Liberals, Smith says
Smith's comments were in response to the host's question about whether Smith thought Canadians were ready to vote for a Conservative government, given a right-leaning leader might have a better working relationship with Trump.
"The longer this dispute goes on, politicians posture, and it seems to be benefiting the Liberals right now," Smith told Breitbart.
"Let's just put things on pause so we can get through an election," she said. "Let's have the best person at the table make the argument for how they would deal with it — and I think that's [Conservative Leader] Pierre Poilievre."
Smith,
shown here in Washington, D.C., is among the Canadian political leaders
lobbying against stiff tariffs on Canadian imports to the U.S. Part of
that effort has been to speak with American news organizations. (Microsoft Teams)
She went on to agree with the host, saying that if Poilievre was Canada's prime minister, the two countries could partner on "a number of things" and that she believes they'd have a "great relationship" while Poilievre and Trump served.
Smith, who leads Alberta's United Conservative Party, has previously said she favours Poilievre, but that Canada, ultimately, needs to elect a prime minister who can work with Trump during his term.
Smith just answered a simple question, says analyst
Gitane De Silva, founder and principal of GDStrategic, a public policy group in Calgary, said Smith is allowed to have a personal political opinion and that, as a conservative, she would support a Conservative government.
"I think she was just answering a question that she was asked," De Silva said about Smith's comments in the Breitbart interview. "Just like President Trump has commented on who he'd rather work with, Premier Smith would rather work with a Conservative government in Ottawa."
In a separate statement Sunday, Smith noted that she has been working to convince U.S. officials about the potential harm tariffs could have on both countries, and push for a pause on tariffs until Canada has a federal election, which would allow whoever wins time to renegotiate the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement, the free trade deal between the North American neighbours.
"Now that an election has been called, I would reiterate my hope that the United States would refrain from placing tariffs on their closest ally and largest trading partner during the middle of the election," Smith said in the statement.
Canadians will ultimately decide who they want to lead, she said, adding that she feels the Liberal government's policies have weakened the country during the party's tenure.
Poilievre echoed the latter Sunday, after being asked about what Smith said during the Breitbart interview.
Poilievre, Carney asked about Alberta premier’s tariff comments to U.S. outlet"The president thinks he will have it easier to deal with a liberal," he told reporters during a scrum, after officially launching his campaign.
Trump said earlier this week that he doesn't care who wins a Canadian election, but that "it's easier to deal, actually, with a liberal."
On Sunday morning, Carney was also asked about Smith's comments, noting Smith's alignment of Poilievre with Trump.
"That's one of the decisions that Canadians will have to make," he said.
During a rally later Sunday, Carney quoted Smith, then said "everything would be on the table" with Poilievre at the helm.
The federal election is set for April 28.
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With files from Anne-Marie Trickey
Trump visits Kennedy Center for 1st time since installing himself as chair
U.S. president promises 'really good shows,' even as productions cancel performances in protest
U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday visited the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, where he took a tour and chaired a meeting of its board of directors.
It was his first time at the marquee arts institution since he began remaking it at the start of his second term in office.
Trump fired the previous board of the Kennedy Center, writing on social media that they "do not share our vision for a golden age in arts and culture." He replaced them with loyalists, including White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, Attorney General Pam Bondi and Usha Vance, the wife of Vice-President JD Vance, and installed himself as chairman.
The Republican president's allies have complained that the Kennedy Center, which is known for its annual celebration of notable American artists, had become too liberal and "woke" with its programming.
Speaking to reporters ahead of Monday's board meeting, Trump complained of "tremendous disrepair," saying the centre "represents a very important part of D.C. and actually our country."
He expressed displeasure with the recent expansion of the complex, known as "The Reach," which features studios, rehearsal spaces and meeting facilities, suggesting he would move to close up the spaces because they lack windows.
Trump also discussed plans to "improve very greatly" the Kennedy Center and its upcoming artistic programming.
"We are going to have some really good shows," he said, adding, "The thing that does well are Broadway hits."
Several artists and productions, including Broadway smash Hamilton, have backed out of performances at the Kennedy Center in protest of the Trump takeover.
"I was never a big fan, I never liked Hamilton very much," Trump said in response.
Trump also complained about staging costs at the centre, saying musician Lee Greenwood wanted to perform Monday at the first board meeting he chaired, but it would cost $30,000 US to "move a piano."
The Kennedy Center, which sits on the banks of the Potomac River, opened in 1971 and has enjoyed bipartisan support over the years.
However, Trump has a fraught relationship with it, dating to his first term as president. He skipped the annual honours ceremony each year.
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