President Donald Trump vowed to do “something” with Greenland, the autonomous territory he has threatened to purchase or take over militarily, during his meeting with executives from some of the largest Big Oil companies.

The vast majority of Greenlanders, who are part of the Kingdom of Denmark, have said they do not want the United States to own them. Denmark has also stated Greenland is not up for grabs, and several European leaders have stressed that the United States cannot interfere with Greenland — with at least one, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, warning that if Trump were to engage in a military incursion it would mean the end of NATO.

“I would like to make a deal,” Trump told reporters on Friday afternoon.

“You know, the easy way, but if we don’t do it the easy way we’re gonna do it the hard way,” the president stressed.

“I’m a fan of Denmark, too, I have to tell you, and, you know, they’ve been very nice to me,” he continued. “Uh, I’m a big fan, but, you know, the fact that they had a boat land there 500 years ago doesn’t mean that they own the land, uh, sure, we had lots of boats go there also.”

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“We’re not gonna have Russia or China occupy Greenland, and that’s what they’re gonna do if we don’t,” Trump insisted, seemingly ignoring the role NATO plays.

“So we’re gonna be doing something with Greenland, either the nice way or the more difficult way,” he again said.

Some critics appeared to mock the president.

Marlow Stern, who teaches at the Columbia School of Journalism, asked, “does he know how america was discovered genuine question.”

“If having ‘a boat land there 500 years ago’ isn’t a basis to claim ownership of the land boy do i have some news for the self proclaimed ‘Heritage Americans,'” wrote Rolling Stone’s Nikki McCann Ramírez.

Trump on Greenland: If we do not do it the easy way, we will do it the hard way. By the way, I am a fan of Denmark. The fact they had a boat land there 500 years ago does not mean they own the land. We will be doing something with Greenland—the nice way, or the more difficult way pic.twitter.com/JBaQ5pNxvC

— Acyn (@Acyn) January 9, 2026

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President Donald Trump came under fire after boasting that the biggest names in the oil industry would be joining him on Friday to discuss “Venezuelan Oil, and our longterm relationship with Venezuela, its Security, and People.”

“The largest Oil Companies in the World are coming to the White House at 2:30 P.M.” the president bragged on Truth Social. “Everybody wants to be there. It’s too bad that the Ballroom hasn’t completed because, if it were, it would be PACKED.”

“Today’s meeting will almost exclusively be a discussion on Venezuelan Oil, and our longterm relationship with Venezuela, its Security, and People. A very big factor in this involvement will be the reduction of Oil Prices for the American People. Additionally, and perhaps most importantly of all, will be the stoppage of Drugs and Criminals coming into the United States of America,” Trump added.

Bloomberg News described it as a “Who’s Who” of U.S. oil.

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According to The Guardian, Trump’s goal is to drop the price of oil from about $56 per barrel to $50 per barrel, but “there are doubts about whether Trump will be able to reignite Venezuela’s beleaguered oil industry after decades of underinvestment and corruption.”

One energy private equity investor told the Financial Times, The Guardian reported, “No one wants to go in there when a random f – – tweet can change the entire foreign policy of the country.”

And as The New York Times’ Edward Wong wrote about Trump’s Truth Social post, “What’s notable about Trump’s words too is his intention to enact massive US industrial policy regarding the American oil industry and Venezuela — while the world has an oil glut. Any industry subsidies would likely come from US taxpayer money.”

Critics again charged Trump with not paying attention to domestic policy or democratic interests.

U.S. Rep. Adelita Grijalva (D-AZ) wrote: “Want to know who’s meeting with Trump this morning about Venezuela’s future? Not pro-democracy leaders. Oil and gas executives.”

Pointing to a list of the oil companies invited to the White House, U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) noted, “But they told us this was just a targeted military action to carry out an arrest….”

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DNC Chairman Ken Martin wrote, “Donald Trump is destroying the job market. You’re paying more than ever just to barely get by. Meanwhile, he’s scheming with oil executives to make them even richer.”

Laura Rozen, a veteran foreign policy journalist wrote that Trump was “portraying a meeting with oil companies summoned to take advantage of his arrest of Maduro as the hot ticket in town.”

“He has not come down to reality that his intervention has not helped most Americans with their real problems, nor his shrinking GOP majority,” she noted.

“Before the U.S. toppled Maduro in Venezuela, Donald Trump tipped off Big Oil companies, but not Congress,” U.S. Rep. Sara Jacobs (D-CA) noted. “Today, he’s meeting with Big Oil again. Congress hasn’t authorized any U.S. action – but Big Oil has a seat at the table. This is what an oligarchy looks like.”

A Democratic National Committee social media account wrote: “Trump is meeting today with oil executives to shape Venezuela policy. These oil companies funneled millions of dollars into his Inauguration Fund and affiliated PACs.”

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In a surprising about-face, House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan has agreed to allow former Special Counsel Jack Smith to testify before Congress in an open hearing — an outcome Democrats have been pursuing for months.

Smith investigated Trump and brought two federal indictments against President Donald Trump during the Biden era in two separate cases that ultimately ended without trial. In closed-door video testimony, Smith, it was recently revealed, said he had proof “beyond a reasonable doubt” in both cases.

“He’s coming in,” Chairman Jordan said of Smith in an interview on Friday, noting that it could be scheduled for as soon as this month. Politico reported that it “would be a politically high-stakes event for members of both parties and the White House.”

Politico reported Jordan said that one of the “key takeaways” in the transcript of Smith’s closed-door testimony, came when lawmakers asked: “did you [have] any evidence that President Trump was responsible for the violence that took place at the Capitol?’”

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“He had no evidence of that whatsoever,” Jordan said of the December interview with Smith.

But Smith, in his testimony, noted that the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol “does not happen” without Trump.

Meanwhile, some Democrats were “celebrating” the turn of events.

“After Republicans forced Jack Smith into a backroom interrogation and rejected our calls for an open public hearing, now they decide they want a public hearing with Jack Smith after all,” U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), the Judiciary Committee’s Ranking Member, said in a statement. “Their backroom strategy backfired in historic fashion.”

“Even with many hours of private testimony, Republicans could not lay a glove on Jack Smith, his evidence, or his case,” Raskin added. “That will not change now that they have finally heeded our call to have him come testify publicly.”

“This upcoming hearing is a win for truth-seeking Americans and yet another looming humiliation for Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans, who depend on a daily diet of lies to keep their administration afloat.”

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