Greenland is an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark, alongside the Faroe Islands, the only other autonomous territory within the Kingdom. Citizens of both Greenland and the Faroe Islands are full citizens of Denmark. As one of the Overseas Countries and Territories of the European Union, Greenland’s citizens are also recognized as EU citizens.
Although geographically part of the North American continent, Greenland has maintained strong political and cultural ties to Europe—specifically to Norway and Denmark, its historical colonial powers—for over a millennium.
The United States has long recognized Greenland's strategic importance. In 1946, the U.S. even proposed purchasing Greenland from Denmark, offering $100 million in gold as part of the deal—and while that never panned out, the world is nervously watching the president-elect since he voiced his desire for territorial expansion, calling "the ownership and control of Greenland" an "absolute necessity."
But Lynge described Trump Jr.'s visit as little more than a stunt. Local media reported that Trump Jr.'s entourage distributed MAGA hats to residents during the visit. Video footage from the trip also showed him speaking to cap-wearing Greenlanders over speakerphone during a lunch event.
She said:
“No journalists were allowed to interview him. It was all staged to make it seem like we — the Greenlandic people — were MAGA and love to be a part of the USA."
And she noted that not everyone received Trump Jr. so warmly:
“People were curious, but some took pictures giving him [the] finger at the airport … Some wrote on Facebook: yankee go home."
But you wouldn't know that based on how Trump Jr. portrayed his own visit, sharing a photo of himself flanked by MAGA cap-wearing Greenlanders holding the American flag:
"Greenland loves America and Trump!!! Incredible people with an equally awesome reception. They just want to be able to utilize some of the incredible resources that they have and allow themselves, their country, and their kids to flourish."
You can see his post below.
@DonaldJTrumpJr/X
Trump Jr. also went further, sharing photos on Instagram, saying "so many people excited about our visit, especially the youth. They love America and Trump."
You can see his post below.
But according to Danish news outlet DR News, sources revealed that the individuals wearing new MAGA hats during the visit were homeless and socially disadvantaged people who had been offered dinners at Hotel Hans Egede in exchange for their participation. DR News also reported that others were able to identify specific individuals who traded their support for a meal at the hotel.
No one was surprised that Trump Jr.'s visit was really just a Trumpy publicity stunt.
Earlier this week, President-elect Trump stated that he would not rule out the use of military force to take control of the Panama Canal and Greenland, asserting that U.S. control of both territories was crucial for American national security.
Trump left the possibility open, stating:
“I’m not going to commit to that. It might be that you’ll have to do something. The Panama Canal is vital to our country. We need Greenland for national security purposes.”
Last month, Greenland Prime Minister Mute Egede said "Greenland is ours" and "not for sale and will never be for sale. We must not lose our long struggle for freedom."
Moreover, the Panama Canal has been under Panama's exclusive control for over 25 years. The United States transferred the Panama Canal Zone back to the country in 1979 and concluded its joint management of the vital waterway in 1999.
“Does anyone have access to private firefighters to protect our home in Pacific Palisades? Need to act fast here. All neighbors houses burning."
The message concluded with:
"Will pay any amount. Thank you."
Here is a screenshot of Wasserman's post from his deleted account shared by X user @DogRightGirl, who expressed:
"The disconnect is jaw dropping. Just wow."
@DogRightGirl/X
The user followed up with confirmation that Wasserman peace'd out from the platform after causing outrage for being completely "tone-deaf" by potentially redirecting additional firefighting efforts away from devastated areas.
Before deactivating his account, Wasserman allegedly retaliated by calling his critics, "trolls!" and clarified he had evacuated from the Palisades.
His final tweet read, “Mama, I’m going viral!”
People thought the wealthy entrepreneur's entitled plea was, well, rich.
However, some argued that Wasserman's request was justified if he had the means to access the private firefighting protection service.
In 2019, affluent Californians had the privilege of being offered “on-call” wildfire protection from private firefighting companies as the number of fires in the state increasingly threatened expensive homes, according to the New York Post.
Private firefighting crews were historically hired by government agencies like the National Forest Service to fight wildfires. However, some firms in recent years have begun seeking business opportunities to extend protection services to wealthy homeowners.
The Palisades fire started on Tuesday morning due to a combination of California's ongoing drought, low humidity, and Santa Ana winds that blew up to 100 m.p.h. within several hours.
Tens of thousands of residents in Los Angeles County were forced to evacuate. Thousands remain under evacuation orders while several thousand more remain under evacuation warnings, according to LA County Sheriff Robert Luna.
By Thursday, more than 1,000 structures were destroyed by the conflagration that ravaged through 20,000 acres.
