Former President Theodore Roosevelt, at the Minnesota State Fair in September 1901, quipped: “A good many of you are probably acquainted with the old proverb, ‘Speak softly and carry a big stick—you will go far.’ If a man continually blusters, if he lacks civility, a big stick will not save him from trouble.”
President Trump found out the hard way that his bluster and lack of civility did not work out for him. It became yet another example of TACO: Trump Always Chickens Out.
Trump repeatedly demanded that Greenland become part of the United States—whether Denmark sold it to us or we took it by force. Greenlanders showed their displeasure through protests. Some wore red hats emblazoned in English with “Make America Go Away.” Several NATO countries made a symbolic gesture of resolve and solidarity with their fellow ally Denmark by sending troops to Greenland for exercises.
Not only were the Europeans upset, but the idea of taking over or buying Greenland was deeply unpopular in the United States. Trump gratuitously trashed Europe at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, and threatened tariffs against those who opposed his plan. Then Trump caved. All that was accomplished was convincing Canada and Europe that the United States is no longer a dependable partner—they must unite and look out for themselves. Trying to placate Trump does not work. Canada got the message earlier when Trump threatened that it should become the 51st state. The keynote address on this issue came from Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney, who received a standing ovation after his speech at Davos. This stood in stark contrast to Trump’s presentation, which was widely panned.
The second TACO involves Trump’s handling of the situation in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Not long ago, he threatened to declare an emergency and send in the military. Last week, I wrote about the unrest there. Unfortunately, tragedy struck again: another person, Alex Pretti, was killed—this time by Border Patrol. He was a 37-year-old white male nurse with no criminal record. The administration tried the same strategy as it did when Renee Good was killed by ICE on January 7: blame the victim, label it domestic terrorism, and justify the conduct. They claimed Alex was the aggressor, that he brandished a weapon, and that he came to massacre law enforcement officers. Then video evidence emerged showing this to be a sham. The photo of a gun in a car—presented with the implication that Alex had taken it out—was actually a picture taken by a police officer holding the gun after Alex was killed.
FBI Director Kash Patel then said that anybody who brings a gun to a protest is at fault. That only angered gun owners, since Pretti had a license to carry. The Department of Justice, as it did with Renee Good’s killing, refused to collaborate with local authorities. Instead, it said the Department of Homeland Security would investigate—a move widely perceived as a sham.
ICE and Border Patrol’s conduct was already unpopular with most people before Pretti’s killing. There had been an incident involving a five-year-old child whom ICE refused to release to relatives, using the child as bait to lure people out of a house. An elderly U.S. citizen was dragged out in barely a blanket in the cold. ICE has also been entering homes without permission using administrative removal warrants signed only by ICE officers.
Protests were already underway before the killing, but Pretti’s death pushed them to a fever pitch that even Trump could no longer ignore. The administration is now in damage control. After repeatedly attacking Governor Walz, Trump had a call with him and said they are now “on the same page.” Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino is being reassigned. I would not be surprised if ICE and Border Patrol reduce their presence in Minneapolis.
For the first year, most individuals, entities, and countries targeted by Trump caved, expecting it would get him off their backs. That approach did not work; it only emboldened him. What the Greenland and Minneapolis situations have in common is that when people unite and stand up to Trump, he backs down. This is the playbook that will be used more often against him. When people look back on these two events—occurring within days of each other—they will likely remember them as the moment when Trump’s power began its descent.