Greenland, Donald Trump’s Latest Tantrum

The U.S. president canceled his visit to Denmark at the last minute after the country declined to sell him the island. While Trump’s interest in the territory is not illegitimate, the way he went about it proved to be disastrous.

The controversy was almost farcical, coming from the most powerful man on the planet. The Greenland incident, which involved President Donald Trump’s very arrogant offer to buy the island prior to provoking a diplomatic incident with Denmark, one of the United States’ strongest NATO allies, in reality exemplifies everything that shows how out of control the U.S. president is, such as his narcissism, irrationality, sensitivity and, above all, immaturity.

First, the facts. On Aug. 16, The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump had, on several occasions, privately shown an interest in buying Greenland. According to the article, his advisers were divided over the issue. Late-night TV hosts were soon delighted with the new material the topic offered, while the president’s critics nearly had a heart attack. From the U.S. government’s perspective, however, taking an interest in Greenland wasn’t completely foolish since it had already offered to purchase the vast Arctic territory twice in the past — once in 1867, the year in which Alaska was bought, and again in 1946, during Harry Truman’s presidency. Today, Greenland, with a population of 56,000, is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, which manages Greenland’s governance and funds a significant portion of Greenland’s budget.

Rich in valuable but difficult to extract natural resources, Greenland also offers considerable strategic advantages, such as being the home of the U.S. Air Force’s large Thule Air Base, part of the American missile defense shield. Following the end of the Cold War, the Arctic became a highly coveted region for several world powers, especially China. The United States, which had fallen behind in the region, succeeded in blocking China’s attempt to finance airports in Greenland in 2018. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had planned to visit the region last May, but the trip was canceled due to developments with Iran.

A Bad Sport

Although Trump’s interest in the territory was not unfounded, the way he went about it proved to be disastrous. Initially, the president confirmed his interest in what he described as “essentially” a “large real estate deal.” Then, in a change of course, he posted a doctored photo on Twitter, intended as a joke, depicting a glistening Trump Tower in the middle of a village of small, typically Greenlandic houses, with an accompanying tweet that read, “I promise not to do this to Greenland!”

For some reason, the Danes didn’t find the tweet funny, and neither did the people of Greenland, as a matter of fact. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen responded by saying it was “absurd” and that Greenland was not for sale. Stung by her comments, Trump proceeded to cancel his official visit to Denmark, which had been planned for Sept. 2 and Sept. 3, without even notifying the U.S. ambassador to Denmark in Copenhagen.

In a fit of temper, Trump declared on Wednesday, Aug. 21, that it’s inappropriate to tell the POTUS “what an absurd idea that is,” making himself look as bad of a sport as a kid during recess.

This isn’t the U.S. president’s first, nor will it be his last, tantrum. Prime Minister Frederiksen treated him as he deserved to be treated. Trump is currently campaigning for a second term. In light of this, the United States’ allies should be mindful that what matters to Trump isn’t the world that surrounds him, but his electorate at home and his love of projecting a tough image in front of them.