Imagine writing that sentence with any other US president. Trump can be bold, bombastic, funny, volatile, juvenile, clever and stupid often within 24 hours and sometimes inside the same press conference.
But there is nothing that is redeeming about his petulant tantrum in refusing to proceed visit with a planned visit to Denmark early next month because that small country wont be bullied into selling a slice of itself in what Trump himself has described as a “real estate deal”.
It is not even a “deal” — it was a unilateral proposal which he himself made to Denmark which at no stage expressed interest in it.
It’s not like Trump has been in protracted negotiations with Denmark about buying the massive icebound chunk of land which houses more than 50,000 people and is autonomous Danish territory.
Greenland is strategically positioned at a time of growing Chinese and Russian activity in the Arctic, which is why Trump is interesting in buying it.
But Trump’s call to buy Greenland — which including him tweeting a fabricated picture of a gleaming Trump tower amid the small colourful houses of Greenland stating “I promise not to do this to Greenland” — was a surprise to the Danish Government.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said it was an “absurd” suggestion and that “I strongly hope that this is not meant seriously … Greenland is not for sale. Greenland is not Danish. Greenland belongs to Greenland”.
It appears the word ‘absurd’ was too much of a personal rebuff for the president despite the fact that he had previously denied that the purchase of Greenland was the reason for his trip to Denmark.
— Geraldo Rivera (@GeraldoRivera) August 20, 2019
“Denmark is a very special country with incredible people, but based on Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen’s comments, that she would have no interest in discussing the purchase of Greenland, I will be postponing our meeting scheduled in two weeks for another time,” Trump tweeted.
“The Prime Minister was able to save a great deal of expense and effort for both the United States and Denmark by being so direct. I thank her for that and look forward to rescheduling sometime in the future!”
Really? Denmark is a US ally, a founding member of NATO, it has been a close partner for the US in the fight against Islamic State and it was a major contributor to the fight against extremists in Afghanistan, losing 43 soldiers, more than Australia.
And its reward for these joint efforts is to be snubbed by a president because it rejected a unilateral request to buy a slice of territory it controls?
Trump’s treatment of Denmark is consistent with a common theme of his presidency in that he is often harsher on America’s allies than he is on its enemies.
Let’s hope that prime minister Scott Morrison’s visit to Washington next month is not contingent on his willingness to sell Tasmania.
Cameron Stewart is also US Contributor for Sky News Australia
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So Donald Trump has called off his visit to Denmark because he has been told he cannot buy Greenland off the Danes.