In a scathing new column, political commentator Warren Kinsella argues that conservatives in Canada and the United States face a pivotal moment of reckoning regarding their support for U.S. President Donald Trump. The catalyst is a recently revealed text message from Trump that has sent shockwaves through diplomatic circles.
The Provocative Text That Changed the Game
On the morning of Monday, January 19, 2026, news broke of an extraordinary text message sent by President Trump to Norway's Prime Minister, Jonas Gahr Store. The message, confirmed as authentic by both the Norwegian government and PBS, contained a startling rationale for a shift in foreign policy.
Trump wrote that because Norway did not award him the Nobel Peace Prize for "having stopped 8 Wars PLUS," he no longer felt "an obligation to think purely of Peace." He declared he could now focus on what is "good and proper" for the United States, boasting he had done more for NATO than anyone in history. The message concluded with an alarming assertion: "The World is not secure unless we have Complete and Total Control of Greenland."
Kinsella points out the glaring geographical error in Trump's demand, noting that Greenland is an autonomous territory of Denmark, not Norway. The columnist frames this incident as a tipping point, representing "next-level insanity" where the leader of the free world hints at abandoning peace and seizing territory over a perceived personal slight.
A Second Term Marked by Escalating Chaos
The column contrasts Trump's current second term, which began in January 2025, with his first. Kinsella describes the last twelve months as feeling "like a decade," marked by a series of destabilizing actions that far exceed the turmoil of the 2017-2021 period.
He lists a catalog of controversies from Trump's second year: musings about making Canada the 51st state, prosecutions of critics, militarization of U.S. cities, assaults on the Federal Reserve, the killing of a political opponent named Renee Good, and crippling tariffs levied against allies while sparing Russia.
Kinsella argues that while Trump's first term included the January 6 insurrection and abuses of power, he was at times restrained by comparatively sane advisors. "The inmates are running the asylum, on this go-round," he writes, suggesting the current administration is devoid of such moderating influences.
The Conservative Conundrum and a Looming Constitutional Crisis
The core of Kinsella's argument targets the ongoing support for Trump among many Republicans and Canadian Conservatives. He notes that while many express private dismay, their public responses follow three familiar patterns: dismissing Trump's statements as jokes, labelling critics as "deranged," or falling silent.
Drawing on his Alberta upbringing as a Liberal among conservatives, Kinsella states that no political tribe has a monopoly on common sense or lunacy. However, he asserts that Trump now operates "in a category of his own." The columnist poses a direct challenge to his conservative acquaintances: Will they continue the old deflections, or finally acknowledge that the only person suffering from "Trump Derangement Syndrome" is Trump himself?
Looking ahead, Kinsella reiterates a prediction he made at the end of 2025: that Trump will not complete his term. He foresees either a major health crisis or an invocation of the 25th Amendment to remove him from power. With Trump now signaling a willingness to destroy NATO and abandon the pursuit of peace over a medal, Kinsella believes the moment for conservatives to choose is no longer optional—it is imperative.
