Donald Trump has sparked a fresh row with Denmark after appointing a special envoy to Greenland, the vast Arctic island he has said he would like to annex.
In response to a question from the BBC about the new role of Jeff Landry, the Republican governor of Louisiana, Trump said the US needed Greenland for “national protection” and that “we have to have it”.
Landry, he said, would “lead the charge” as special envoy to Greenland, a semi-autonomous part of the Kingdom of Denmark.
The move has angered Copenhagen, which said it would call the US ambassador for “an explanation”. Greenland’s prime minister said the island must “decide our own future” and its “territorial integrity must be respected”.
Gov Landry said in a post on X that it was an honour to serve in a “volunteer position to make Greenland a part of the US”.
Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has revived his long-standing interest in Greenland, citing its strategic location and mineral wealth.
He has refused to rule out using force to secure control of the island, a stance that has shocked Denmark, a Nato ally that has traditionally enjoyed close relations with Washington.
“We’ll have to work that out,” Trump added. “We need Greenland for national security, not minerals.”
Trump specifically mentioned Chinese and Russian ships as potential threats in the nearby seas.
Yes, but by threatening Denmark, Trump can make it so that the USA no longer get to have military bases on Greenland while also driving the narrative that more guns are needed, which no doubt makes some of his buddies very happy.
His behavior makes a lot more sense if you don’t assume he has his country’s best interests in mind.
I feel like you’re ascribing so much more intelligence and thoughtfulness to Trump’s reasoning than has been consistently demonstrated. I fully believe that his entire reasoning is that Greenland is really big on most map projections and relatively easy to take by force (whether by bullying Denmark into ceding it or literally invading it militarily).
He wants to leave his mark by doing something very few Presidents have done, especially in the modern era. Same reason he created the Space Force or the White House ballroom - it’s a vanity project by a malignant narcissist who wants to leave a legacy and doesn’t care about the cost, or even the actual benefits.
Yep. His behavior makes complete sense if you assume he actively wants to harm Americans.