One For the Road 1776

President Trump met with European leaders in Davos,Switzerland, this week. It was an economic meeting with a broad-based agenda, including climate change and other global issues. Politics run deep, and thisis particularly true this year in light of Trump's potential actions, ranging from the taking of Greenland to attacking and then complimenting NATO. And let's add a diatribe against Switzerland, and in a subsequent meeting with SwissPresident Guy Parmelin, praising the Swiss for making high-quality watches. It sounded like the ultimate non-compliment compliment. THE FULL TEXT/NOTES CAN BE FOUND AT: https://erm76.substack.com/p/podcast-and-full-text-episode-the The Notes for the quotes are: (1) “The Most Startling Line From Trump's Davos Speech,” byPhilip Elliot, Time. January 21, 2026. https://time.com/7355488/trump-davos-speech-takeaways-analysis/?itm_source=parsely-api (2) “75th Anniversary Of The Munich Agreement,” RadioFreeEurope;RadioLiberty. September 26, 2013. (3) “October 5, 1938. House of Commons.” Speech byWinston Churchill. International Churchill Society. https://winstonchurchill.org/resources/speeches/1930-1938-the-wilderness/the-munich-agreement/ (4) “After Trump's Ultimatum, Greenland Talks IncludeSovereign U.S. Bases, No Drilling for Russia,” by Jim Tankersley, Lara Jakesand Adam Goldman,” The New York Times, January 22, 2026. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/22/world/europe/trump-greenland-deal-framework.html?campaign_id=60&emc=edit_na_20260122&instance_id=169697&nl=breaking-news®i_id=57657450&segment_id=214081&user_id=423e5e0514430d734c860e2b14f2b4d7 (5) “Trump Says “Sometimes You Need a Dictator” AfterAlarming Davos Speech,” by Malcolm Ferguson, The New Republic. January21, 2026. https://newrepublic.com/post/205508/trump-sometimes-you-need-dictator-davos-speech (6) Truth Social. January 11, 2026. https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115879509461234235 (7) Czechoslovakia had some of Europe's biggest armsfactories.

This is a two-part post.The first explores President Trump’s January 17, 2026, Truth Social post about Greenland. It’s a mix of inaccurate statements and the levying of new tariffs.Organizationally, a section of the Truth Social post is listed, followed by a quick analysis of that section. The Analyses are so-noted.The second part is an unpacking of the Greenland situation and where the United States and Europe stand in this matter.-----------------------------------------To read the full text of the podcast and the links to thequoted materials, please see: https://erm76.substack.com/p/podcast-and-full-text-episode-greenlandagain-------------------------------------------------Quoted Materials(1) Truth Social post, Donald Trump. January 17, 2025.https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115911344443637897(2) “Trump considers punishing countries with tariffs ifthey don’t back U.S. takeover of Greenland,” PBS News, PBS. January 16, 2026.https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/trump-considers-punishing-countries-with-tariffs-if-they-dont-back-u-s-takeover-of-greenland(3) Ibid.(4) “Rubio says Trump wants to buy Greenland while WhiteHouse dangles military option,” by Mariam Khan, Benjamin Siegel, AllisonPecorin, and Jay O’Brien, ABC News. January 7, 2026.https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/rubio-trump-buy-greenland-trump-push-military-option/story?id=128994685#:~:text=Interest%20Successfully%20Added-,Rubio%20says%20Trump%20wants%20to%20buy%20Greenland%20while%20White%20House,Greenland%2C%20White%20House%20official%20says(5) “I don’t see it with Canada,” but “something couldhappen with Greenland,” by Kaia Hubbard, CBS News. May 4, 2025.https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-greenland-military-force-canada/

Originally recorded on January 13, 2026.Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado is set to meet with President Trump at the White House this week. Machado received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2025. This is the prize that Trump believes he deserves. These actions have taken place today.More information, including the references for the quotes, can be found at: https://erm76.substack.com/p/a-nobel-prize-by-any-other-name-why

Five Republican Senators, including Josh Hawley and Todd Young, initially joined with Democrats in supporting a measure that would limit President Trump’s war powers in Venezuela—Trump would have to seek Congressional approval before he took additional actions. But Hawley and Young backed-out; the bill was defeated.For additional information, including the reference for the quote, please see: https://erm76.substack.com/p/josh-hawleywhats-old-is-new-again

The Trump Administration and a number of politicians have forgotten a simple idea: they're citizens just like us. And as such, we all have certain rights. The Trump Administration, in particular, thinks it can do whatever it wants to do. It can't.