Donald Trump’s latest Greenland mission appeared to end in humiliation after his controversial envoy abruptly ended his trip after a failed charm offensive in the Danish territory.
Gov. Jeff Landry of Louisiana, who bizarrely also served as Trump’s special envoy to Greenland, made an unofficial visit to the Arctic island’s capital, Nuuk, this week.
Landry turned up for the “Future Greenland” conference on May 19–20 after arriving in Nuuk on Sunday with no meetings locked in with any politicians, according to Reuters.
The conference’s organizer told Reuters they did not invite Landry, but noted anyone could sign up for the event.
Landry told Danish broadcaster DR that Trump had told him to “`Go over there and make a bunch of friends, as many friends as we can,’” according to London’s The Telegraph.
The governor wrapped up his trip on Wednesday. In a farewell message, he thanked Greenlanders for their hospitality, said he hoped to strengthen ties, and expressed regret that he only had time to visit Nuuk during the trip.
“Farewell to the people of Greenland – I enjoyed the many introductions and conversations. Thank you for the warm welcome and I will continue to work to deepen ties between our people," he wrote on X.
“As I leave this great island, I am incredibly grateful for the warm welcome and eye-opening conversations. I regret that I only had time to visit the people of Nuuk, and look forward to experiencing everything else that Greenland has to offer on future trips.”
But Landry received anything but a warm welcome on the island, which is an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark.
Videos circulating online showed Greenlanders giving him the middle finger, children refusing MAGA hats, and one boy bluntly rejecting a photo request after Landry asked, “Do you want a picture?” and received a simple reply: “No.”
Another clip showed the Louisiana governor walking through Nuuk as a woman followed behind him shouting, “Don’t come here—go home!”
Landry’s trip also saw him have a meltdown in front of local reporters when he was asked why he was in Greenland.
“This is all about building a relationship, let me tell you what I’ve found,” Landry told reporters, according to DR. “Greenland was not on the map until Donald Trump put it on the map,” Landry said. “In other words, the United States... before Donald Trump has basically ignored this place.”
His remarks sparked backlash from members of his party. GOP Rep. Don Bacon wrote on X: “Greenland has been on the map for centuries. And… it is our ally. Stop treating our friends like dirt."
Asked why he arrived in Greenland “without an invitation,” Landry shrugged off the criticism, saying: “If you showed up in Louisiana, I’m not gonna throw you out because you weren’t invited?”
When pressed on whether Trump still wanted Greenland to become part of the U.S., he replied: “You’ll have to talk to the president yourself,” while insisting Trump wanted to create “opportunities” for Greenlanders.
Landry later met Greenland Premier Jens-Frederik Nielsen, who said there had been “progress” in talks with the Americans but stressed: “The Greenlandic people are not for sale. Greenlandic self-determination is not something that can be negotiated.”
After Landry joked local children could visit Louisiana and “have all the chocolate chip cookies you can eat,” Nielsen shot back: “We have our red lines. And no matter how many chocolate cookies we get, we are not going to change them.”
Landry fired back with a patriotic jab of his own, saying: “There’s only one line and it’s red, white and blue.”
