Republicans, as a rule, are fond of tinkering around the edges. Once elected, they stand athwart history yelling “slow down a little.” They prefer to putter around the White House adding window dressing to Democrat-led decline. They fret about norms, civility, and other sweet nothings, while their political enemies ignore these niceties completely. The result? Each time “the pendulum swings back” (as Republican faithful are fond of predicting), it swings less and less to the right — and farther and farther to the left.

Not this time. President Donald Trump’s remaking of the federal government isn’t just softening the palette; it’s a full-blown color revolution in how the federal government operates — and if successful, it will change everything.

Trump’s shock-and-awe reforms are breaking all the rules that have previously kept Republicans confined to controlled-opposition status.

To catch a glimpse of what’s happening, just check out some of the D.C. political publications. Washington’s morning newsletters are, as a class, dreadful reads. Filled with lazy groupthink, dumb analysis, Democrat/GOP leadership talking points, and “wonky” personality, they’re the kind of thing I must lash myself through for my daily news-gathering.

Tuesday’s were an exception. They were beautiful.

Tuesday’s Playbook began with the president’s order to end the massive taxpayer funding of the Democrats’ non-governmental organization universe — a sprawling, ideological, and lawsuit-happy army of nonprofits dedicated to tormenting Republicans and pursuing liberal goals.

There is no reason on earth why Republicans in the House, Senate, or White House should have continued sending billions of dollars to anti-energy green groups, pro-illegal-immigration groups, pro-abortion groups, and other Democrat-aligned activists and lawyers. But year after year, they have. No longer.

After fretting about the wide-ranging impact of the order, Playbook got to how it was executed by the acting director of the Office of Management and Budget. That’s because Russ Vought — one of the president’s most experienced and effective nominees — hasn’t even been confirmed to the post yet. In short: Get ready for more to come.

Then, taking “a step back,” the newsletter looked elsewhere in government. The president, it mentions, has fired “more than a dozen” Department of Justice prosecutors behind the department’s four years of lawfare, while their allies quit in frightened desperation. “People are just in a state of shock and devastated,” moaned one sad case who’d thought consequences were for everyone but him.

It’s not surprising this nameless apparatchik was so shocked. This isn’t how it’s supposed to work in Washington, where Democrats play for keeps, Republicans talk big, and around and around we go, with Democrats stacking up gains and no one actually held to account.

Then we got to the U.S. Agency for International Development, a storied font of globalist largesse, charged with funneling Americans’ money to other countries and their liberal projects. The White House paused the faucet over there until the projects can be reviewed and put 60 senior staff on leave.

USAID acting Administrator Jason Gray said the staffers were put on leave for undermining the president. While that might seem standard, it’s important to stress just how rare that kind of quick and decisive action is. For context, recall the first months of 2017, when Trump 45 was plagued with a self-styled “Resistance” inside his own government. What a change.

“And there’s still more,” Playbook writes, including the firing of 17 inspectors general, big changes throughout the floundering Secret Service, and work to increase the federal government’s ability to fire its own employees when needed.

But it’s still not over! Next came coverage of the president’s executive order walking back transgender individuals from serving in the armed forces. It’s strange that it’s so controversial to say no to men suffering from a condition that makes them want to be women (and need surgery to get there) on the front lines or commanding troops in the field, but it is. Fortunately, this White House doesn’t mind courting that controversy.

Then, Trump reinstated those troops who had been discharged not for mental illness, but for refusing the experimental and ineffective COVID vaccine Democrats forced on everyone.

We’re only halfway through one newsletter now, but you get the idea. And that’s just Tuesday morning. Monday opened with the president’s “shocking” public victory over Colombia. After the South American country refused to accept Colombian illegal immigrants whom the United States had flown home, Trump vowed to raise tariffs to 25%, promised to double that in one week’s time, and revoked diplomatic visas. Colombian resistance quickly folded, and the government agreed to accept its own citizens.

On Tuesday night, he told all federal employees who do not want to return to their offices (for the first time in five years) that he’ll offer them pay through September if they retire by next Thursday. He also issued an executive order stating that “it is the policy of the United States that it will not fund, sponsor, promote, assist, or support the so-called ‘transition’ of a child from one sex to another, and it will rigorously enforce all laws that prohibit or limit these destructive and life-altering procedures.”

It’s tough to overstate how refreshing this is to an American right not used to seeing its leaders wield actual power. The shock to the international community is merely the sad reflection of how the United States has acted for decades. You can just hear the howls from Foggy Bottom, where career diplomats are more concerned with what’s good for foreign states than for their own. Let’s hope many of them will follow their friends out the door next.

In the end, it’s about effectively wielding the power of the presidency and thereby exposing the lies that have covered for inaction for years.

For example, in his first term (plus former President Joe Biden’s), Trump proved that border enforcement is a tangible problem that can be addressed. Washington had denied this simple reality for decades. Trump exposed it. Biden proved the point for any who’d been distracted by all the noise of that 45th administration to notice.

In his second term, the now-47th president is set to test the notion that liberalism cannot be rolled back in any meaningful way. His well-planned, swiftly executed shock-and-awe reforms are breaking all the rules that have previously kept Republicans confined to controlled-opposition status.

“But let’s also be clear,” Playbook wrote at the end of its long list of executive actions. Everything the president has done was “spelled out by Trump long in advance.”

Throughout the election campaign, he told America repeatedly that he would reshape the federal government, root out (and even prosecute) his enemies, pardon supporters who were convicted of violent crimes, slash government spending programs en masse and ax huge numbers of federal jobs. And then he won 77 million votes to do exactly that. Those accusing Trump of being anti-democratic might note that this is largely democracy in action.

Indeed it is! The only real surprise here is that voters are finally getting what they asked for.

For decades, Republicans have proven ineffective at rolling back the advances of liberalism. Every successive Democratic-controlled legislature and executive expanded its reach and power. Successive Republican leaders picked away at these advances, but virtually never turned them back. Trump, it seems, might be an exception: a man who spent four years in exile, learning from his mistakes, studying his opponents, and preparing for his return. We’ve never seen anything like it.

Fortunately, courage is contagious. More, you won’t so easily convince the American people again that real action is impossible. They voted for change. Trump is testing what the presidency can deliver.

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When President Trump recently announced on Truth Social that “ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity,” critics immediately jumped to conclusions. Democrats and media outlets spun wild narratives, suggesting this would somehow give Russia and China carte blanche to annex territories of their own. The Guardian went so far as to accuse Donald Trump Jr. of inviting homeless people and drug dealers off the street in Greenland and giving them a free lunch to make it look like there are a bunch of native Trump fans. The hysteria is as predictable as it is ridiculous.

Let’s set the record straight: America is not going to invade Greenland. But if we’re serious about securing our national interests in the Arctic — and the world — then we cannot afford to ignore Greenland any longer.

If Greenland becomes independent, its need for economic and military partnerships will be greater than ever. The United States should be at the front of that line.

Greenland has been a strategic partner to the U.S. for over 80 years. During World War II, Nazi Germany’s occupation of Denmark prompted the United States to establish a presence in Greenland to prevent the island from falling into enemy hands.

That presence solidified in 1951 when the Pentagon built Pituffik Space Base, a critical military position in the Arctic. This air base, located 750 miles north of the Arctic Circle, remains vital for deterring Russian aggression and detecting potential missile threats. Even as recently as 2017, the U.S. invested millions in upgrading its radar systems there to deter Russian intercontinental ballistic missiles.

In 1946, President Harry Truman offered Denmark $100 million in gold bullion to buy Greenland, recognizing its immense strategic value. Denmark declined, but the geopolitical importance of Greenland has only grown. The Arctic is no longer considered a “frozen wasteland” on the map — it’s a battleground for influence, resources, and security.

The stakes in the Arctic

Why does Greenland matter so much? The U.S. Geological Survey estimates that the Arctic holds 30% of the world’s undiscovered natural gas and 13% of its undiscovered oil. Additionally, Greenland’s vast deposits of rare earth minerals — essential for technology, vehicles, and national defense — are virtually untapped. These are the resources that will power the 21st-century economy, and right now, China has a stranglehold on them. The U.S. imports 72% of its rare earth minerals from China. That is not just unsustainable; it’s dangerous.

China and Russia understand Greenland’s importance. Beijing has already attempted to secure mining rights and infrastructure projects on the island. Moscow, too, has been eyeing the Arctic as it ramps up its military activities in the region. If Greenland were to become independent without U.S. involvement, it’s easy to imagine these two adversaries stepping in to fill the void.

A path forward?

Critics have mocked Trump’s interest in purchasing Greenland, likening it to a real estate scheme. But this isn’t about buying beachfront property. It’s about securing America’s future.

Greenland’s push for independence from Denmark is gaining momentum. Its prime minister recently called for creating a framework for full independence, citing the “colonial era” treatment by Denmark. If Greenland becomes independent, its need for economic and military partnerships will be greater than ever. The United States should be at the front of that line, ensuring Greenland’s security while building a mutually beneficial economic relationship.

This doesn’t necessarily mean a direct purchase of Greenland, as Truman proposed. Instead, we could forge a comprehensive partnership that strengthens Greenland’s autonomy while aligning its future with American interests. Expanding trade, investing in infrastructure, and collaborating on resource development are all ways to deepen our ties with Greenland without stepping on Denmark’s toes.

A linchpin for Arctic security

Acquiring or partnering with strategic foreign lands like Greenland isn’t just a Trump idea; it’s a commonsense principle that has been adopted by presidents over the past 100 years.

In 1917, President Woodrow Wilson — hardly a conservative hero — purchased the Danish West Indies (now the U.S. Virgin Islands) to protect American interests in the Caribbean. That purchase, made for $25 million, was driven by fears that Germany might use the islands as a naval base during World War I.

The same logic applies to Greenland today. Its strategic location makes it a linchpin for Arctic security, and its resources are vital to America’s energy independence and technological future.

By prioritizing Greenland, President Trump is thinking beyond short-term political wins. He’s positioning America to lead in the Arctic while countering the growing influence of China and Russia. This is the kind of bold, visionary leadership that America needs — and it’s why the left hates it so much. The left would rather focus on short-term optics and partisan squabbles than confront the real challenges facing our nation.

The Arctic is the new frontier, and Greenland is the gateway. President Trump’s focus on Greenland isn’t some outlandish idea — it’s a strategic imperative. Whether through a purchase, a partnership, or a deeper alliance, America must act now to secure its interests in this critical region. This is about more than politics or headlines. It’s about ensuring that America remains strong, secure, and free for generations to come.

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