Donald Trump has been accused of “open authoritarianism” after he indicated he was seeking a third term in office – something that would go against the United States’ constitution.
Monday 31 March 2025 09:37, UK
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On the banks of the Ohio River in a rural corner of one of America’s poorest states sit two factories, one next to the other.
One is open. The other is shuttered. Both cut to the heart of what Donald Trump hopes he can do to transform America’s industrial base.
Ravenswood, West Virginia, is a town built on aluminium. Since the 1950s, the wonder-metal has kept this place on the map.
Kaiser Aluminium closed its smelters in 2009. The plant now sits idle. Fencing surrounds it; grass partially obscures the entrance, where hundreds of workers would once have passed.
Two hundred metres down the road, there is a different story.
Read Mark’s full report here.
“All countries” can expect to be hit by tariffs, Donald Trump has said.
Speaking from Air Force One last night, the US president rubbished a question from a reporter who asked whether it was true he was planning on targeting 10-15 countries.
“Who told you 10-15 countries? You didn’t hear it from me,” he said.
When pressed on how many he was planning to hit, he said: “You’d start with all countries, let’s see what happens.”
Read more about tariffs and how they’ll affect the world economy here.
We start today with some comments from Donald Trump – made as part of a wide-ranging interview with our partner network NBC – which have prompted significant alarm in the US overnight.
Asked about remarks from some of his allies promoting the prospect of him serving a third term – something that is barred nation’s constitution, the Republican indicated he was also keen on doing so.
“Well, there are plans,” Trump told our partner network NBC.
“There are – not plans. There are methods – there are methods which you could do it, as you know.”
“I’m not joking,” Trump said when asked to clarify.
The president then said it was “far too early” to think about trying to defy the two-term limit and that he was “focused on the current” [term].
However, he said of the prospect of a third time: “I like working.”
‘Open authoritarianism’
The comments have been met with enthusiasm from Trump’s MAGA base but significant concern among others.
Political scientist at the prestigious Dartmouth College in New Hampshire, Brendan Nyhan, said the president’s words equalled “open authoritarianism”.
“Right out of the textbooks,” he added.
We’ll bring you more reaction and analysis to this story throughout the day.
Good morning and welcome back to our live coverage of events in the US.
While we wait for those stateside to wake up, we’ll be taking in all the latest reaction to Donald Trump’s latest claims on tariffs, as well as the prospect of the Republican serving an unprecedented – and unconstitutional – third term in office.
We’ll also be across the continuing fallout from Signalgate.
A bit later on, the president will add to his more than 100 executive orders since returning to the White House.
As we’ve been reporting tonight, JD Vance criticised Denmark during a visit to Greenland today, saying it has not done a good job in keeping the semi-autonomous Danish territory and its people safe from incursions by China and Russia.
While he said the US does not have immediate plans to expand US military presence on the ground in Greenland, it will invest in resources including additional naval ships.
Here are the key lines from today:
Vance thinks Greenland will become independent of Denmark – and then US will take action
On taking any action in Greenland, Vance said the US will wait for Greenlanders to become independent of Denmark.
“What we think is going to happen is that the Greenlanders are going to choose through self-determination to become independent of Denmark, and then we’re going to have conversations with the people of Greenland from there,” he said.
“So, I think that talking about anything too far in the future is way too premature. We do not think that military force is ever going to be necessary.”
US wants to lead in the Arctic – and says it’s about security
The vice president said Russia and China were taking an interest in Arctic passages and he had to ensure that “America is leading in the Arctic”.
US criticism of Denmark
Vance indicated the White House believes the Scandinavian country has “underinvested” in the region.
“Our message to Denmark is very simple. You have not done a good job by the people of Greenland,” he said.
Vance said the region was less secure now and that US policy would change this.
Trump repeats bid to control Greenland in social media video
Donald Trump shared a video on his social media channels reiterating his bid to take over Greenland.
Earlier today, US vice president JD Vance claimed that Denmark had “under-invested” in Greenland’s security.
Vance said the US has “no option” but to take a significant position to ensure the security of Greenland as he encouraged a push for independence from Denmark.
He was joined by his wife Usha and other senior US officials on a visit to an American military base in a trip that was scaled back after an uproar among Greenlanders and Danes angry that the original itinerary was planned without consulting them.
Here, our international affairs editor Dominic Waghorn looks at why the US wants Greenland…
JD Vance and Donald Trump “to some extent” have a point that Denmark could have done more to keep Greenland safe but the country has now “upped the game”, the deputy speaker of the Danish parliament has told Sky News.
Lars-Christian Brask told Sky’s Gillian Joseph that Vance was “not welcome” by the Greenlanders today.
“It’s a NATO country demanding a piece of another NATO country, which is highly unusual and there is a lack of respect,” he said.
On Vance’s claims that Denmark had not kept Greenland safe, Brask said: “Vance and Trump can to some extent have a point that we could have done more.
“We’ve now accelerated it and our government has really upped the game.
“We’ve rectified that now with the proposals that have been put through parliament.”
He also said it would be “highly unlikely” the US could just take over Greenland.
Donald Trump has shared a video on his social media channels reiterating his bid to take over Greenland.
The video begins by speaking of a “bond” that was formed between the US and Greenland during the Second World War.
With threats now emerging from Russia and China, the narrator in the video says: “Now is the time to stand together again for peace, for security and for the future.
“American stands with Greenland.”
You can watch the video here…
Yesterday, Vladimir Putin said geopolitical rivalries were intensifying in the Arctic.
Alluding to Donald Trump’s stated intention to acquire Greenland, Putin said this had nothing to do with Russia but that it was clear that the US would continue to promote its interests in the Arctic.
“It is obvious that the role and importance of the Arctic both for Russia and for the whole world is growing. But unfortunately, geopolitical competition, the struggle for positions in this region, is also intensifying,” he said.
Putin, who is keen to ramp up commerce via the Northern Sea Route (NSR) through Arctic waters as Russia shifts trade towards Asia and away from Europe because of Western sanctions, said Russia had never threatened anyone in the Arctic, but was prepared to defend its interests.
You can watch his speech here…
The US is stepping up its narrative when it comes to Greenland, our US correspondent James Matthews says.
The vice president going to Greenland was “somewhat of a surprise” to begin with, he adds.
Despite Vance’s comments about Greenlanders wanting to become independent of Denmark, Matthews says: “I would point out Greenlanders absolutely do not want to get into bed with the US.
“They have made that perfectly clear.”
He says the speech was “significant” and we learnt that military force is not off the table.
“The narrative is clearly being stepped and there is steady pressure on Greenland, which presumably will increase,” he adds.
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