President Donald Trump’s handpicked special envoy performed an embarrassing on-camera meltdown in the country he was hired to charm.
America’s special envoy to Greenland, Jeff Landry, who is also Louisiana’s governor, began an unofficial visit to the island’s capital, Nuuk, on the weekend. The president says he wants to gain control of the autonomous Danish territory to bolster U.S. national security in the Arctic.
Trump’s demands for the territory have been rejected by Greenland’s leaders, as well as Denmark.
Landry, 55, landed in Nuuk on Sunday with no meetings locked in with any politicians, according to Reuters. Landry told Danish broadcaster DR 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.
“I’m here simply to build relationships, to look, to listen and to learn,” Landry said after arriving, according to the BBC.
However, Landry became increasingly angry when local reporters 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.”
Landry’s meltdown continued when he began asking the media questions himself.
“When’s the last time that any high-level diplomats came to Greenland, whether it’s from Europe or not, before Donald Trump?” Landry said.
When a journalist started to reply, an agitated Landry snapped, “No, no, no, no, no, no... that’s a question that Greenlanders should ask themselves. Who cares more about Greenlanders than the Trump administration and the president? Because, seemingly before the president, no one cared.”
A former Greenland politician fact-checked Landry’s claims on X. Kristian Jensen, a former finance minister, pointed out that then-Secretary of State John Kerry visited Greenland in 2016.
When he was asked why he arrived in Greenland “without an invitation,” Landry told a reporter, “If you showed up in Louisiana, I’m not gonna throw you out because you weren’t invited?”
When asked if Mr Trump still wanted the Arctic territory to become part of the United States, Landry replied: “You’ll have to talk to the president yourself.”
He claimed Trump’s involvement could bring “opportunities” to Greenlanders.
“I would tell you that the credit to bringing opportunity to Greenland is squarely on Donald Trump. He recognized that. He wants to create opportunities here in Greenland, and that’s my job. And so that’s what I’m going to be going back and talking to him about.”
Landry met with Greenland’s premier, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, and Foreign Minister Mute Egede on Monday. Asked how the meeting went, Landry said, “I thought it went great.”
When the reporter said, “Really?” Landry said, “Why? You think it went bad?”
Landry said they discussed “opportunities” and noted, “You know what I got out of that meeting? Before Donald Trump, the United States was ignoring Greenland.”
Nielsen told reporters there was “progress” with America after his meeting with Landry.
“From Greenland’s side we are focused on finding a solution that is good for us all, and most importantly that threats of annexation, takeover or a purchase of Greenland and the Greenlandic people does not occur,” Nielsen said.
However, he added, “The Greenlandic people are not for sale. Greenlandic self-determination is not something that can be negotiated.”
Despite not being invited, Landry attended a “Future Greenland” business conference on Tuesday with the U.S. ambassador to Denmark, Kenneth Howery. The conference’s organizer told Reuters they did not invite Landry, but noted anyone could sign up for the event.
“This place was open,” Landry told reporters outside the event on Tuesday. “This conference is open to the public.”
Insiders stated that Landry’s visit to the island reinforced Greenland’s dislike of Americans, according to The Telegraph.
A diplomatic source told the publication that Landry received a frosty reception and had also “invited himself” to meetings.
“He is making a fool out of himself, it’s so embarrassing,” the source said, adding that he was trying to “reimpose that he is a player.”
The publication also claimed a White House official even questioned Landry’s visit to Greenland, asking, “What the f---?”
The Daily Beast has contacted reps for Landry and the White House for comment.
The public also reacted to the visit. A Greenlander flipped the bird at Landry’s entourage, according to The New York Times, who also said the special envoy offered MAGA hats to local children, with several declining. Caps reading “Make America Go Away” are sold in Greenland.
Landry told some local children that if they came to his mansion in Louisiana they could “have all the chocolate chip cookies you can eat.”
Nielsen later referenced the exchange, telling DR, “We have our red lines. And no matter how many chocolate cookies we get, we are not going to change them.”
Landry said of Nielsen’s comment, “There’s only one line and it’s red, white and blue.”
