Punishment As Policy Through The Lens Of Coercive Control. Trump’s Campaign to Seize Greenland.
In Part 1 (link) in a series of articles documenting the use of coercive control in leadership, I highlighted how Donald Trump’s use of coercion, that the U.S. must control Greenland, caused visible distress to Greenland’s Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt.
This 2nd article examines his escalation from pressure to punishment.
According to reporting from Huff Post Trump has now stated he may “punish” countries with tariffs if they do not support the United States controlling Greenland.
He described any outcome other than US control as unacceptable & framed compliance as a national security obligation.
When viewed through the lens of coercive control rather than political negotiation the behaviour is not abstract.
It mirrors the same dynamics experienced by people living with intimate partner abuse driven by narcissism entitlement & grandiosity.
Below are 5 clear ways this behaviour replicates coercive control.
- Punishment For Non Compliance:
Trump explicitly threatens tariffs if countries do not agree. In abusive relationships punishment is used to enforce obedience. Affection, autonomy, money, safety & freedom are often withdrawn until compliance there is compliance. - Escalation When Resistance Appears:
Diplomatic engagement did not produce submission so the tactic escalated. This mirrors how coercive control intensifies when a partner does not give in. - Framing Control As Necessity:
By declaring control of Greenland necessary Trump removes the legitimacy of consent. Abusers often frame domination as “protection” or inevitability or safety they must enforce. - Use Of Economic Power As Leverage:
Tariffs are not negotiation tools they are weapons. Financial control is one of the most common mechanisms of intimate partner abuse used to limit choice & independence. - Emotional Impact Is Treated As Irrelevant:
The visible distress of Minister Motzfeldt is ignored. In coercive control the emotional harm caused is dismissed as collateral or weakness rather than recognised as real.
When the media stops reporting these actions as exceptional political theatre & instead recognises them as coercive control, the pattern becomes unmistakable & is exposed.
The source of the behaviour is the same as that endured by partners living with domination, punishment & enforced compliance.
Coercive control impacts both those who are directly targeted & vicariously as the atmosphere of coercion, instability & on-going threats does not have boundaries.
Coercion creates ripples that contribute to a sense of instability, powerlessness, irrationality & the mental & emotional health impact of living with the possibility of escalation & punishment.
With coercion, there is no accountability, systems collapse & chaos inevitably follows.










