An old tweet from Donald Trump, originally posted in 2019, has come back into the spotlight following his renewed interest in purchasing Greenland.
If you’ve been following international news, you’re likely aware that Trump has once again expressed interest in buying Greenland, a move that has been firmly rebutted by the region, which is part of the Kingdom of Denmark.
In response to these efforts, Greenland’s prime minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, issued a statement saying, “Greenland does not want to be owned by the United States. Greenland does not want to be governed by the United States. Greenland does not want to be part of the United States.”
Even if Greenland were open to the idea, the financial implications are significant. According to NBC, the cost for the United States to purchase the 800,000 square kilometer island is estimated at around $700 billion.
Trump has claimed national security as a reason for his interest in purchasing Greenland, although back in 2019 he downplayed the situation by referring to it as merely a ‘real estate deal’.
Referring to Greenland and the idea of purchasing it in August 2019, Trump said, “Denmark essentially owns it,” according to The Guardian.
He added, “We’re very good allies with Denmark, we protect Denmark like we protect large portions of the world. So the concept came up and I said, ‘Certainly I’d be.’ Strategically it’s interesting and we’d be interested but we’ll talk to them a little bit. It’s not No.1 on the burner, I can tell you that.”
He further categorized the potential acquisition as ‘a large real estate deal’.
Trump also claimed at the time that Denmark’s possession of Greenland was detrimental to Denmark, stating that they were ‘losing almost $700m a year carrying it’.
He elaborated, “So they carry it at a great loss and strategically for the United States it would be very nice and we’re a big ally of Denmark, we protect Denmark and we help Denmark and we will.”
Following these statements, Trump posted on Twitter an altered image of Greenland featuring a large, gold Trump Tower. The caption read: “I promise not to do this to Greenland!”
I promise not to do this to Greenland! pic.twitter.com/03DdyVU6HA
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 20, 2019
While some found the tweet humorous, others did not appreciate the sentiment.
Amidst his recent efforts to purchase Greenland, the residents have been vocal about their stance on potentially becoming part of the US.
“We are not a business, we are a people,” said Greenland MP Nivi Rosing. “I know Donald Trump is a businessman, but Greenland is not a product. We’re a people and should be taken very seriously and that should be respected.”