The Pentagon on Thursday removed Col. Susannah Meyers from her command at the U.S. military’s Greenland base Thursday after comments she made that were critical of Vice President J.D. Vance, who visited the base on March 27.
The criticism came in an internal email to Pituffik Space Base personnel that took issue with Vance's criticism of Denmark during the visit.
“I do not presume to understand current politics,” Meyers wrote, according to Military.com. “But what I do know is the concerns of the U.S. administration discussed by Vice President Vance on Friday are not reflective of Pituffik Space Base. I commit that, for as long as I am lucky enough to lead this base, all of our flags will fly proudly — together.”
Vance had accused Denmark of not taking proper care of Greenland's people, of which it is in charge because Greenland is currently a territory of Denmark.
Vance's comments stoked an independence movement that already exists in Greenland and promised that if the icy, mineral-rich nation partnered with the U.S., it would get more help with development in exchange for access to its minerals (to purchase, not just take).
Even before he took office, President Donald Trump talked about purchasing Greenland from Denmark or otherwise acquiring it.
Trump and Vance's comments riled U.S. liberals, who saw them as dictatorial and autocratic.
In reality, though, Trump is looking to prevent China from taking over the territory and controlling even more of the minerals needed to power U.S. electronic devices and electric car batteries.
The Pentagon saw Meyers's comments as an attempt to “subvert President Trump’s agenda" and said any such attempts "will not be tolerated.”
Officially, the military said it had a “loss of confidence in [Meyers’] ability to lead,” which is typical language for a firing/removal after a grave command breach.
“Commanders are expected to adhere to the highest standards of conduct, especially as it relates to remaining nonpartisan in the performance of their duties,” the statement read.
Meyers was a Biden holdover, and it's pretty clear that Trump and his administration have had enough of being undermined by holdovers and deep state actors who don't agree with him on policies.
While such loyalty demands can smack of authoritarianism, which is incredibly triggering to liberals, it's really just evidence that Trump wants to maximize his productivity in this second term as he tries to undo all the damage caused by Biden.
It's a legitimate concern, and it makes sense for Trump to do everything he can to make sure his officials and staff are willing to work with his team and not against it.
