A Danish petition is pledging to buy the state of California in response to Donald Trump's plans to take control of Greenland. The island is a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark and is vast and mineral-rich. Trump’s obsession with making it part of the US is the fifth time the United States has set its eyes on the island. It established an airbase in Greenland during the Cold War. Before taking office again last month, Trump said he would not rule out the use of military force to seize control of the island, calling it vital to US national security, and last month his son visited the nation.
And now a light hearted petition has trolled the president, asking: "Have you ever looked at a map and thought: 'You know what Denmark needs? More sunshine, palm trees, and roller skates. Well, we have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make that dream a reality.". The petition's website has reached more than 200,000 signatures by Wednesday lunchtime. It's not clear how long the petition has been running and a representative did not immediately return a request for comment.
The petition organisers have their own plans for Disneyland in Southern California: "We'll rename it Hans Christian Andersenland. Mickey Mouse in a Viking helmet? Yes, please." The petition notes that Trump isn't a fan of the Golden State. Last year, he called it "Paradise Lost" and he regularly derides Gov. Gavin Newsom with the nickname "Newscum". "It is in the national interest to promote the extraordinary heritage of our Nation, so California will become New Denmark. Los Angeles? More like Los angeles," the petition states. But of course, every petition needs some fine print, way down at the bottom: "Disclaimer: This campaign is 100% real - in our dreams.".
While Los angeles is a joke, another very Danish city in Southern California is real. Known as "the Danish capital of America," Solvang was founded by three immigrants from Denmark in 1911. The city is popular with tourists, who come in droves for its aebleskiver pastries, Scandinavian windmills, a main street called "Copenhagen Drive" and, of course, a Hans Christian Andersen Museum to honour the famous Danish fairy tale author. Danish royals have visited several times over the decades.
In total, Greenland is home to around 56,000 people, of which, more than a third are located in Nuuk. Last year, the island attracted 140,000 visitors, up from 100,000 before the pandemic. Whilst the Danish formed the largest group of tourists visiting Greenland, Americans ranked third. In 2019, Trump scrapped a trip to Denmark and said the cancellation was because Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen made a "nasty" statement when she rejected his first-term idea of buying Greenland as an absurdity.
