【Wen/Observer Net, Zhang Jingjuan】According to a report by Fox News on the 18th, Markwayne Mullin, a Republican Senator from Oklahoma, fully endorsed Trump's governing line in an interview, supported his trade protectionist policies, and made baseless attacks on China's "Belt and Road" initiative, fabricating rumors about Sino-Venezuelan and Sino-Iranian oil trade, and openly advocated that the United States should take ownership of the Danish territory of Greenland.

In the program, the host first raised the issue, mentioning the accusations against Trump for being chaotic and unorganized, and then asked Mullin whether he thought Trump had a complete strategic plan during private interactions.

Mullin immediately gave a positive response, saying that people have always accused the U.S. of playing checkers while China is playing chess. Now Trump has simply overturned the board and said the U.S. is not playing anymore.

The senator described Trump's signature trade policy tool—tariffs—as a means to retaliate against other countries for taking advantage. He said, "If you want to do business in the U.S., you have to pay the corresponding price; if you dare to take away our jobs, you have to pay the corresponding price; if you try to flood the market with cheap products, we will lock these countries down and impose heavy sanctions."

He further claimed that these measures aim to precisely target China's "Belt and Road" initiative, maliciously distorting the real purpose of the initiative, claiming it is to make global trade routes revolve around China, posing a significant economic threat to the U.S. and the world. This claim is sheer nonsense. The "Belt and Road" initiative is based on the principles of consultation, joint construction, and shared benefits, in line with and promoting the trends of economic globalization, multipolarity, cultural diversity, and the interconnectedness, mutual learning, and win-win cooperation of all countries. It draws from China's own development experience to contribute Chinese wisdom to solving global development challenges, becoming a clean breeze for maintaining and promoting globalization. The initiative has received active responses and support from more than 150 countries and over 30 international organizations, and its nature of mutual benefit and win-win outcomes is evident to all, far from being a so-called "threat".

Photo of Markwayne Mullin, Republican Senator from Oklahoma

Regarding the Venezuela issue, Mullin claimed, "If Venezuela were a good neighbor, we could coexist peacefully. But the problem is that Venezuela is a drug center, and a large amount of fentanyl precursor chemicals are flowing into other countries through it."

At the same time, Mullin also took the opportunity to smear China, fabricating rumors about improper low-price transactions in Sino-Venezuelan and Sino-Iranian oil trade. He claimed that Venezuela sells 400,000 barrels of oil daily at a lower price to China on the black market, while Iran also exports large quantities of oil to China at discounted prices, about 1.4 million barrels per day. In total, China gets as much as 1.8 million barrels of low-cost oil supply every day.

"If China currently only has about 90 days of cheap oil supply, once this cheap oil disappears, their production costs will rise by 30%, which brings huge pressure," he claimed. He stated that Trump's series of measures are gradually surrounding China.

On the NATO issue, the host exaggerated the loyalty of allies, stating that Germany, Baltic states, and Poland have increased defense budgets, strengthened NATO forces, and mentioned a German general who praised America's global military deployment capabilities, branding the transatlantic partnership as the cornerstone of "the freedom and democracy they have enjoyed for decades."

Mullin agreed, claiming that the principle of "peace through strength" naturally leads other countries to follow. He also glorified American hegemonic actions, stating, "Throughout history, there has always been a superpower on the international stage. Countries choose to follow the U.S. because we are different from other superpowers—we are not conquerors but committed to promoting peace and democracy globally, allowing people of all countries to enjoy the freedom of choice. After all, we believe that freedom is a right given by God to everyone. The world longs for such a leader, and Trump has appeared at just the right time." This rhetoric is full of hypocrisy. For years, the U.S. has used "democracy" as a pretext to wage wars and interfere in the internal affairs of other countries.

Regarding the Greenland issue, the host accused Germany, Britain, and Sweden of sending troops to the area, clearly intending to prevent the U.S. from intervening.

"They are trying to keep us out by strengthening regional defense," Mullin said. Their approach was to display a "Hey, look at me, guys, hey, America, we've got it (here)" attitude.

Mullin said that Trump's stance on Greenland is clear—if NATO wants the U.S. to spend billions of dollars to strengthen shipping channels in the region and enhance NATO's air defense response capabilities, then the U.S. should own the land.

"If necessary, we don't mind acquiring ownership through purchase," he said, but emphasized that the U.S. would never make a loss-making deal, since Greenland's importance to U.S. eastern security is comparable to Alaska's strategic significance to the U.S. western side.

On January 19, 2026, the capital of the Danish autonomous territory of Greenland, Nuuk, saw Danish soldiers arriving at the airport. According to reports, Danish military officials said that starting from January 19, 2026, the number of Danish troops stationed in the Danish autonomous territory of Greenland will increase. IC photo

Greenland is a Danish autonomous territory and the world's largest island. It is a strategically important location between North America and Europe, with rich natural resources. Greenland left the European Economic Community, the predecessor of the EU, in 1985, so the island itself is not part of the EU. However, since Denmark is a member of the EU, Greenlanders still have EU citizenship.

Since returning to the White House, Trump has continuously pressured the Danish autonomous territory of Greenland, threatening to "annex" the island, which has not only caused anxiety and vigilance among European countries but also sparked strong dissatisfaction among the people of Greenland and Denmark.

Francis Fukuyama, an American writer and political economist known for his book "The End of History and the Last Man," recently wrote an article pointing out that Trump is essentially a bully, wanting to dominate everyone around him. Trying to appease him by yielding is a futile effort. He despises weakness and looks down on anyone showing weakness.

As an American, Fukuyama called on many European friends: this confrontation must not back down. He emphasized that giving up Greenland cannot quell Trump's ambitions. He will only take more and more unreasonable demands in the future.

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Original: toutiao.com/article/7597281685561967158/

Statement: The article represents the views of the author.