After weeks of threats and confusion over President Donald Trump’s ambitions to take control over Greenland, growing concerns over the silence in Washington on what it could mean for Guam have reached a tipping point. 

Uncertainty has been building for weeks over the president's threats to control Greenland for what he claims is for national security reasons against China and Russia. "We want a piece of ice for world protection and they won’t give it," Trump said. "They have a choice, you can say yes and we will be very appreciative. Or you can say no, and we will remember."

But after making these comments to world elites in Davos, Trump reversed course on using military force to take over the Danish territory and imposing tariffs on opposing allies. "People thought I would use force. I don’t have to use force. I don’t want to use force. I won’t use force," Trump added.

While the rapidly-developing dispute is thousands of miles away, here at home concerns have reached a flashpoint over potential risks to Guam, where a massive military buildup has been ongoing for years. Dr. Robert Underwood, chairman of the Pacific Center for Island Security and a former Guam congressman, spoke out, saying, "What is important to this administration and how does it affect us? I’ve been very direct on the process of militarization on the island, but now in addition to this, we’re wondering whether Guam is that important anymore or what exactly is going on."

As United States attention shifts to the other end of the globe, he says there’s concerns whether that changes Guam’s level of importance and risks losing federal resources. He says there needs to be more advocacy from our island's voice in Washington.

"I have to say that our leadership, we have a representative, Delegate James Moylan, who’s on the Housed Armed Committee, and he’s been very silent on this. Yet this is exactly the kind of issue that he needs to speak out on to understand, to help us understand it. He needs to be direct and forthright on what effect this will have on Guam and whether he supports an intervention in Greenland, whether he supported an intervention in Venezuela," Dr. Underwood said.

KUAM News reached out repeatedly over the past week to Moylan for a wide-ranging interview on Greenland, Venezuela, deep sea mining, and military housing concerns.  As of the time of publication of this web article, his office says he is still pending availability for a virtual interview. 

"He is sitting in the committee that makes decisions on the deployment of armed forces in the United States," Underwood said of his successor. "He’s our sole representative. The deployment of armed services affects us directly in the militarization in the island and our numerous young people that are in uniform, and yet, it has been very strangely silent."

In a statement to KUAM, former senator Mary Torres, who is challenging Moylan in this year’s election, wrote, “However any of us might feel about these actions, two things are true: we are living in uncertain times and now is not the time for Guam to have an uncertain voice in Congress.”

She continued, in part, “As a member of both the Armed Services and Foreign Affairs committees, our delegate has a responsibility to engage - both with federal decision-makers and with the people of Guam. When that engagement is missing, it adds to the uncertainty families feel and leaves critical questions unanswered.”

In the meantime, in a social post, President Trump says a “framework of a future deal” on Greenland was reached with the secretary general of NATO, though he provided no further details. 

"Well," the president said, "we have a concept of a deal."