Provoking the Greenlanders: Donald Trump’s singer Jeff Landry.Image: keystone
Jeff Landry is courting sympathy on the Danish island – but his charm offensive is met with mistrust and resistance.
May 19, 2026, 6:16 p.mMay 19, 2026, 6:16 p.m
Niels Anner, Copenhagen / ch media
He came without an invitation and without a reserved seat. Jeff Landry, a close confidant of President Donald Trump and his special envoy to Greenland, simply bought a ticket for Greenland’s largest economic conference.
The event, which will discuss investments and the strategic future of the Arctic, began on Tuesday; On Sunday, Landry and his team landed in the capital Nuuk, with chocolate and boxes of “Make America Great Again” caps in their luggage.
On a walk through Nuuk he handed out chocolate coins to children. It showed his government residence in the US state of Louisiana, of which the 55-year-old is governor. When they visited him there, he told a group of young Greenlanders, they could eat as many chocolate cookies as they wanted.
It was as if the rich, jovial uncle had arrived from the south. Landry said openly that he had been commissioned by Trump to “make as many friends as possible.” He therefore wanted to “listen and learn” whether relations between the USA and Greenland could be deepened.
Locals react irritated
In Greenland, however, this charm offensive is extremely poorly received. Trump’s repeated threats that the USA wanted to take control of the strategically important island “in some way” are still deeply felt by the 57,000 inhabitants.
The business association reacted irritably to Landry’s visit, and political scientist Ulrik Gad, who specializes in the Arctic, explained that it was difficult to become friends with someone who had “kicked you in the groin beforehand.” “Stop USA” posters hung in Nuuk on Tuesday.
In January, Denmark hastily deployed special forces to the Arctic island, which would have been ready to blow up runways if NATO partner the USA actually attacked Greenland militarily. Since then the situation has calmed down somewhat; Greenland, Denmark and the USA have agreed to find a solution to Trump’s demand that the USA “needs the island for its security” in diplomatic negotiations on a cooperation agreement. According to US media reports, the current issue is that the USA will get additional military bases in Greenland.
In principle, there is little objection to this on the island, but Trump has not changed his position regarding control over Greenland, said Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen after briefly receiving Landry. Nielsen spoke of a “courtesy meeting” at which he once again made it clear that Greenland was not negotiating territorial issues.
People in Nuuk are also upset because Jeff Landry has brought a doctor with him to look at the medical care on the island. The Greenlandic Health Minister called this “deeply problematic”: Greenlanders are not “experimental subjects in a geopolitical project”. Even though the health system has undisputed problems due to the extreme distances and remote settlements, Greenland finds the interference disrespectful.
The government had already clearly contradicted in January when Donald Trump announced that he would send a hospital ship to Greenland. “No thanks,” replied Jens-Frederik Nielsen at the time. And Jeff Landry, the envoy, who now wants as many Greenlandic friends as possible, replied: “Shame on you, head of government!”
The cool reception in Nuuk may be having an effect. On Tuesday, the governor left the economic conference after just 45 minutes. His further program in Greenland initially remained open. (aargauerzeitung.ch)