Vance to visit Greenland amid backlash to wife's trip
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Usha Vance and Vice President JD Vance on Jan. 20 in Washington, D.C. Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images
Vice President JD Vance said Tuesday he's joining his wife, Usha Vance, on a trip to Greenland later this week, though the White House changed the course of the visit.
The big picture: The second lady's trip, which was scheduled as President Trump made clear his desire to take over the island, set U.S. allies on edge and drew repeated rebukes from Greenlandic and Danish officials.
Driving the news: The White House said Tuesday that the vice president and his wife will travel to the Pituffik Space Base in Greenland to receive a briefing on Arctic security issues and meet with U.S. service members.
- That's in lieu of the second lady's previously announced visit to Greenland's national dogsled race.
What he's saying: "There was so much excitement around Usha's visit to Greenland this Friday that I decided that I didn't want her to have all that fun by herself, and so I'm going to join her," the vice president said in a video posted to X prior to the White House's statement.
- Vance shared his plans to visit members of the U.S. Space Force on the northwest coast of Greenland, and "just check out what's going on with the security there of Greenland."
Catch up quick: The White House had announced over the weekend that the second lady would travel to Greenland with an American delegation to visit historical sites and attend the national dogsled race.
- That delegation was set to include Trump's national security adviser Mike Waltz and Energy Secretary Chris Wright, multiple outlets reported.
Zoom out: Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said Tuesday that the U.S. is exerting "unacceptable pressure" on Greenland and Denmark.
- "It is pressure that we will resist," she said during a local broadcast.
- Greenland Prime Minister Múte Egede had also raised concerns about the visit, saying in an interview with local publication Sermitsiaq Sunday, "We are now at a level where it can in no way be characterized as a harmless visit from a politician's wife."
- He added, "Because what is the security adviser doing in Greenland?" per a translation, characterizing Waltz's presence as a "demonstration of power."
Context: Trump reiterated his desire earlier this month to take over the territory, predicting that "one way or the other," the U.S. would "get" Greenland.
- The administration's push has persisted despite Greenlandic and Danish officials repeatedly stressing that Greenland is not for sale.
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in January that it's in "the national interest" to acquire more control over Greenland, noting the U.S. already has a defense agreement with Denmark to protect the territory if it comes under assault.
Go deeper: Greenland rebukes Trump officials' upcoming trip as "aggressive"
