Danes offer to buy California to spite Trump’s Greenland plans
3 Min Read
A satirical petition from Denmark, which owns Greenland, has garnered 200,000 signatures as Trump doubles down on plans to take the island.
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The Danish Parliament, Christiansburg Palace in Copenhagen, on February 14, 2018 (AFP)
Denmark clapped back Wednesday at US President Donald Trump who has called for Canada to become the 51st US state, planned to take over the Panama Canal, floated US ownership of Gaza, and is attempting to buy Greenland
Now, more than 200,000 Danes have signed a satirical petition to buy California from the US.
"Have you ever looked at a map and thought, ‘You know what Denmark needs? More sunshine, palm trees, and roller skates.’ Well, we have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make that dream a reality." the petition reads.
"Let’s buy California from Donald Trump!"
A slogan at the top of the petition's website reads "Måke Califørnia Great Ægain," with alleged supporters such as Lars Ulrich of Metallica and Viggo Mortensen of Lord of the Rings sharing their reasons for transforming California into "New Denmark."
The petition added, "We’ll bring hygge to Hollywood, bike lanes to Beverly Hills, and organic smørrebrød to every street corner. Rule of law, universal healthcare, and fact-based politics might apply."
"Let’s be honest – Trump isn’t exactly California’s biggest fan. He’s called it ‘the most ruined state in the union’ and has feuded with its leaders for years. We’re pretty sure he’d be willing to part with it for the right price."
'Danes consider US a threat'
A poll revealed on January 31 that nearly half of Danes view the US as a significant threat to their country, with a strong majority opposing Greenland's potential departure to become part of the US.
A YouGov research, exclusively shared with The Guardian, came after weeks of tension between Denmark, Greenland, and the US over Trump's repeated assertions that he plans to take control of the territory.
The island, home to 57,000 residents, was once ruled as a Danish colony.
A poll conducted between January 15 and 22, surveying just over 1,000 people in Denmark, found that 46% view the US as either "a very big threat" or "a fairly big threat" to the country.
Among those surveyed, 78% opposed Greenland being sold to the US, while 72% believed the final decision should be up to Greenland, not Denmark.
The poll comes after Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called on Europe to "stand together" in response to shifting relations with the United States, during a diplomatic tour of Berlin, Paris, and Brussels.
Following her meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Frederiksen stated, "I want to ensure that all of Europe stands together. Not only in connection with the kingdom of Denmark but also more broadly."
Frederiksen, who also met with French President Emmanuel Macron, added, "Everyone in Europe can see that it will be a different collaboration with the USA now." Scholz emphasized that "borders must not be moved by force."
