Donald Trump Jr. is heading to Greenland for a ‘personal’ trip with major diplomatic overtones, after his father called the purchase of the island for the US an ‘absolute necessity’.
The visit, reported in the Danish press and confirmed by a source familiar with the trip, stems from the returning president’s interest in territorial acquisition.
Trump Jr. is an advisor to his father and honorary co-chair of his transition, and has had his ear on key personnel choices, including the selection of running mate Vice President-elect J.D. Vance.
“Don’s coming over for a quick day trip to record some fun video content for podcasting. He will not meet with government officials or political figures,” the source told DailyMail.com.
Don Jr. remains an avid outdoorsman and hunter who does not mind visiting cold climates.
However, there are reports that the visit comes at the request of Erik Jensen, the finance minister who supports Greenland’s independence.
The country’s Prime Minister Múte B. Egede, meanwhile, has postponed a visit to meet with King Frederick – who has just rolled out a redesigned coat of arms depicting Greenland as part of Denmark’s symbolic rule. Egede’s office attributed this solely to calendar gymnastics.
The returning president has called the island critical to U.S. national security, and he has continued to talk about expanding U.S. territory since his election. Greenland has mineral deposits and provides a strategic gateway to the Arctic, and has attracted China’s attention.
“For purposes of national security and liberty throughout the world, the United States of America believes that ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity,” Trump wrote in announcing PayPal co-founder Ken Howery as his pick for U.S. ambassador to Denmark.
With threshing belt: Donald Trump Jr. travels to Greenland after his father, newly elected President Donald Trump, called the acquisition of the island an ‘absolute necessity’
Trump’s push could all be part of his “disruptive” approach to foreign policy, says Rebecca Pincus, director of the Polar Institute at the Wilson Center in DC.
‘The idea of buying Greenland is getting a lot of attention. It’s not a boring policy proposal, is it? It’s dramatic, it’s daring. And so I think this might just put an end to the billion policy proposals flying around Washington DC at any given moment. It can catalyze attention and send a very clear signal that we need to do something about Greenland,” she told DailyMail.com.
According to her, a visit to Greenland in January is ‘very difficult’. There are currently no direct flights and the temperature Monday afternoon was 22 degrees Fahrenheit. But the world’s largest island has something to offer even if it’s not for sale: virtually “unlimited” hydropower thanks to its melting ice cap, large mineral deposits and strategic geography.
King Frederik sent his own message about the importance of Greenland with a large club and a polar bear – and perhaps even a message to Trump.
Frederick, who succeeded to the Danish throne following the abdication of Queen Margrethe II last year, has released a new coat of arms that confirms his kingdom’s long-standing claim to the territory.
The area has been under the effective control of Denmark since the 14th century, but Donald Trump has again signaled his interest in the US purchasing or acquiring the area, which lies between Canada and Scandinavia.
The new royal coat of arms released by the crown eliminates a historic use of three crowns to represent the historic union of Scandinavian nations.
Instead, the new coat of arms shows an enlarged polar bear, as well as a ram signifying his rule over the Faroe Islands, a self-governing part of the kingdom.
A few Nordic men with ripped bodies now have thicker and more prominent clubs – a Danish version of Teddy Roosevelt’s ‘speak softly and carry a big stick’ response. The men have slightly broader shoulders, larger pecs, a wider torso and a taller posture, plus a little more hair.
The polar bear is not only larger, but also has a long, menacing red tongue.
News of the redevelopment spread on a day when Trump once again declared his intention to expand the nation – having both scaled back his ambitions for Greenland and threatened to retake the Panama Canal in a pre-Christmas message complaining of “ridiculous compensation.
The new flag, issued by King Frederick, features a more prominent polar bear, as a signal to keep Greenland within the empire. Two Nordic men are also more muscular and swing bigger clubs
Trump has said it is an “absolute necessity” to acquire the island.
He also referred to ways to forge an expansive empire by making repeated statements about making Canada the 51st state.
The symbolic declaration of rule over Greenland, a self-governing territory of Denmark and former colony, comes despite a separatist movement there.
Greenland Prime Minister Mute Egede gave a speech New Year’s speech where he said: ‘we must work to remove the obstacles to cooperation – which we can describe as the shackles of colonialism – and move forward.’
“It is time for us to take a step ourselves and shape our future, including with regard to who we will work closely with and who our trading partners will be,” he added.
The new royal coat of arms features a larger polar bear, signifying Greenland, and a ram signifying the Faroe Islands
King Frederick X released the new coat of arms less than a year after his accession to the throne
Donald Trump, who will be sworn in on January 20, has said it is an ‘absolute necessity’ to acquire Greenland
Egede rejected Trump’s offers to buy the 836,330-square-mile island (larger than Alaska) in 2019 and again last year. ‘Greenland is ours. We are not for sale and will never be for sale,” Egede has said.
‘It is important for the Danish side to signal that Greenland and the Faroe Islands are part of the Danish empire, and that this is not up for discussion. This is how you mark it,” royal expert Lars Hovbakke Sørensen told me TV2.
Trump continued to use the language of expansion in an interview with Hugh Hewitt on Monday, where he vowed to “undo” President Biden’s new protection of millions of acres of offshore lands from drilling.
Speaking about the wealth of American energy resources, Trump said: “You know, we have something that no one else has. “I mean, no one has done that, as far as we have it, and it’s going to be more by the time we’re done because I’m going to be able to expand, you know, we’re going to expand our country,” said Trump.