Danish officials and American citizens alike balked at recent news that President Donald Trump was exploring the possibility of purchasing Greenland, a country under the kingdom of Denmark.
Danish People's Party spokesman Soren Espersen said, “If he is truly contemplating this, then this is final proof, that he has gone mad.” Former Danish Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen called the proposal "an April Fool’s Day joke ... but totally out of [season]!"
Eventually, Denmark's current Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen, weighed in, calling the idea "absurd."
Frederiksen's words came ahead of Trump's state visit to Denmark, which was planned for early September, until Trump decided to cancel due to Frederiksen taking Greenland off the table.
Even for Trump, some found it shocking that he'd cancel an entire visit over what was an outlandish idea in the first place.
New York Times White House Correspondent Maggie Haberman wasn't buying it.
But writer for The Atlantic, David Frum, put forth a theory that made sense.
Former FBI Special Agent Asha Rangappa agreed the cancellation had to do with Obama, but that Trump's staff was pulling the strings.
Former President Barack Obama's formidable legacy and international admiration continue to endure, despite Trump's best efforts at sullying Obama's reputation. Trump famously questioned Obama's citizenship for years during Obama's presidency. He sat stoic at the 2011 White House Correspondents' Dinner as Obama roasted him, which many believe spurred Trump announcing his presidential campaign three years later.
Since Trump's inauguration, he's blamed Obama for everything from family separation at the border to the White House air conditioning system.
Obama continues to remain more presidential as Trump insists on pettiness. The proximity of the two visits would inevitably draw comparisons, with Obama almost certainly coming out on top.
What does that say about where we are as a country under Trump's leadership? An Uncivil War author Greg Sargent had the answer:
Suddenly, it was all clear.
The pettiness is real.
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