We had to have it. And he wanted to lead the charge.
But “he” refers to Jeff Landry, Louisiana's very conservative governor, whom Trump recently appointed as special envoy to Greenland.
The president describes Landry as a guy who "makes deals" and who can realize his vision of taking control of Greenland.
"When you look up and down the coast, there are Russian and Chinese ships everywhere," Trump said of Greenland when he met with reporters at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida.
There "with boats"
The president claims that his ambition to take over Greenland is not due to the area's rich energy and mineral resources - as the US has "abundant resources" - but rather that he believes that Denmark has not invested enough money in protecting the island, Bloomberg reports.
Denmark hasn't spent any money. They have no military protection, Trump claims.
They say Denmark was there 300 years ago or so, with a boat. Well, we were there with boats too, I'm sure. So we'll have to work it out.
Jeff Landry has written on X that it would be an honor to "make Greenland part of the United States."
Red line
The appointment of Landry has sparked strong anger among Danish leaders and on Monday, US Ambassador Ken Howery was summoned to the Danish Foreign Ministry in Copenhagen. At this, “a red line was drawn” and “a very clear statement was made,” Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said in interviews, according to Ritzau. The Danish Foreign Ministry has also reportedly asked for an explanation for Landry’s appointment.
Løkke Rasmussen has said he is both angry and upset about the Greenland envoy - which he called "unacceptable" on Monday.
It is a step up on the acceleration ladder and we must take that seriously, says Lars Løkke Rasmussen to DR.
Greenland, with approximately 56,000 inhabitants, is an autonomous part of Denmark with extensive self-government. However, this self-government does not include foreign and security policy, or currency policy.
