Updated Aug 21, 2019

Trump cancels Denmark visit over PM's Greenland comments

Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images

President Trump responded to Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen‘s message to the United States that Greenland is not for sale by tweeting Tuesday evening that he's postponing their scheduled meeting. A White House spokesman later clarified that the president's entire trip to Denmark had been canceled, per AP.

What she's saying: Frederiksen told Danish media Sunday it's an "an absurd discussion" and that the territory is not for sale, according to a Reuters translation.

"Greenland is not for sale. Greenland is not Danish. Greenland belongs to Greenland. I strongly hope that this is not meant seriously."

The big picture: Greenland has self-rule, but it is part of the Kingdom of Denmark. When asked if he wanted to buy the world's largest island that's not a continent, Trump told reporters, "We're looking into it ... It is not No.1 on the burner."

  • White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow told ”Fox News Sunday" the situation was "developing," noting that Trump "knows a thing or two about buying real estate."

Background: Trump was due to visit Denmark on Sept. 2 and 3, Denmark's Royal Court previously announced. A spokeswoman told AP Wednesday she was "surprised" Trump had cancelled the entire visit to Denmark.

  • The White House had said the president and First Lady Melania Trump would visit Denmark as well as Poland as part of their trip, having accepted an invitation to meet with Queen Margrethe II, Queen of Denmark and they planned to attend bilateral meetings and meet with business leaders.
"The President and First Lady's visits will highlight the historic ties between the United States, Poland, and Denmark, as well as our willingness to confront the region's many shared security challenges."
— White House statement, July 31

Go deeper: The great game comes to Greenland

Editor's note: This article has been updated with the latest comments from Trump, Denmark's Royal Court and the White House.

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Data: The Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins; Map: Axios Visuals

Countries where novel coronavirus cases are falling may be hit with a "second peak" if they relax restrictions too soon, World Health Organization emergencies chief Mike Ryan warned during a briefing Monday. "We're still very much in a phase where the disease is actually on the way up," he added.

By the numbers: Almost 5.5 million people have tested positive for the virus as of Monday, and more than 2.2 million have recovered. The U.S. has reported the most cases in the world (over 1.6 million from 14.6 million tests). The U.K. is reporting over 36,900 deaths from the coronavirus — the most fatalities outside the U.S.

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Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

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  4. 2020: Trump threatens to move Republican convention from North Carolina — Joe Biden makes first public appearance in two months.
  5. Public health: Officials are urging Americans to wear masks over Memorial Day.
  6. Economy: New York stock exchange to reopen its floor on Tuesday — White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett says it's possible the unemployment rate could still be in double digits by November's election — Charities refocus their efforts to fill gaps left by government.
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A LATAM air attendant aboard one of the company's planes in March. Photo: Kike Calvo/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

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