Donald Trump's presidential son, Donald Trump Jr., was expected to visit Greenland on Tuesday, weeks after his father expressed a desire for the US to gain control of the independent area of Denmark. The visit, a Greenland official confirmed to CBS News, also comes a day after Mr Trump suggested the people of the vast region were “MAGA”, in a post on social media.
“Donald Trump Jr.'s trip is a private trip. and Naalakkersuisut – the Government of Greenland honors him. Therefore, there will be no comments about the visit,” Mininguaq Kleist, Greenland's permanent secretary for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told CBS News. “Our country is open for visits, and visitors are welcome in the beautiful country. us.”
Reuters, citing a source familiar with the trip, said Trump Jr. intending to shoot content for a podcast, and that he would only be visiting for one day.
Getty/iStockphoto
On Monday, Trump he said in a social media post that he was, “hearing that the people of Greenland are 'MAGA.' My son, Don Jr., and various agents, travel there to visit some of the most amazing areas and views that will protect him, and he will respect him, from the savage outside world.
Greenland has a population of about 57,000 and is a fully autonomous region of the Kingdom of Denmark. It has oil, natural gas and mineral resources, but its economy depends on Danish subsidies and fishing.
President-elect Trump had expressed interest in buying Greenland during his first term in office, although the idea was fleeting. were criticized by the Danish authorities.
Two weeks ago, Trump said on social media that, “for reasons of National Security and Freedom around the World, the United States of America considers possession and control of Greenland essential.” “
The government of Greenland has twice backed down on claims of interest in the region by Mr Trump, with Prime Minister Mute Egede saying just before Christmas that “Greenland is ours. We are not for sale and we will not be for sale.”
Last week, Egede gave a New Year's speech pushing for Greenland to remove the “shackles of colonialism” and gain full independence from Denmark.
“It is time for us to step up and shape our future, also in terms of who we will be working closely with, and who our trading partners will be, ” said Egede.
One Greenlandic lawmaker in the Danish parliament, Aaja Chemnitz, said Trump's interest should be dismissed, Reuters reported.
“I don't want to be a pawn in Trump's feverish dreams of expanding his empire to include our country,” Chemnitz said.
