Donald Trump Jr. arrives in Greenland after his father reiterates interest in the island
COPENHAGEN/WASHINGTON, Jan 7 (Reuters) - Donald Trump Jr. arrived in Greenland's capital Nuuk for a private visit on Tuesday, shortly after his father, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, reiterated his interest in the resource-rich Arctic island.
The president-elect, who takes office on Jan. 20, has signaled he would pursue a foreign policy unbound by diplomatic niceties, threatening to take control of the Panama Canal.
Trump Jr. arrived in his father's "Trump Force One" private plane at about 8 a.m. ET, according to a livestream from Nuuk airport and flight tracking websites.
"Greenland coming in hot… well, actually, really really cold!!!!," Trump Jr. said in a post on X along with a video from the cockpit as the plane prepared to land between snow-covered mountains.
"We're really happy to be here. We're here as tourists to see this incredible place," he told local broadcaster KNR upon arrival, adding that he had originally planned to visit last spring. He said he had spoken to his father, "and he says hello to everyone in Greenland".
The visit to a freezing, snow-covered Nuuk was expected to last four to five hours, and no meetings were scheduled with government officials, a local official told Reuters.
A spokesman for the president-elect's son confirmed that Trump Jr. would not be meeting with government officials when reached for comment. "Don is popping in for a quick day long trip to shoot some fun video content for podcasting. He will not be meeting with any government officials or political figures," the person said.
Turning Point USA founder and Trump Jr. friend Charlie Kirk accompanied him on the trip. Trump campaign political director James Blair, who the president-elect named his deputy chief of staff for legislative, political and public affairs, and Sergio Gor, a longtime adviser to the president-elect who will lead the Presidential Personnel Office, also traveled with Trump Jr. to Greenland.
Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark, is geographically part of the North American continent, and its capital Nuuk is closer to New York than to the Danish capital Copenhagen.
More: Greenland is a no, but what territories has the U.S. purchased?
On Monday, President-elect Trump praised the island on his social media platform Truth Social, promising to "MAKE GREENLAND GREAT AGAIN!",
"Greenland is an incredible place, and the people will benefit tremendously if, and when, it becomes part of our Nation," he wrote.
Trump added that his son was visiting Greenland to see "some of the most magnificent areas and sights."
In 2019, Trump postponed a scheduled Denmark visit after Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen rebuffed his idea of the U.S. purchasing Greenland, which was a Danish colony until 1953 and is now a semi-sovereign territory under the Danish realm.
Denmark, a NATO ally, has seen relations with Greenland worsen in recent years, prompted by allegations of historic mistreatmentof residentsunder Danish rule. Greenland's Prime Minister Mute Egede has stated that the island is not for sale but in his New Year speech stepped up a push for independence.
On Monday, he postponed a meeting with Denmark's King Frederik scheduled to take place in Copenhagen on Wednesday. No reason was given for the postponement.
Denmark's Prime Minister Frederiksen told broadcaster TV2 on Tuesday: "We need very close cooperation with the Americans."
"On the other hand, I would like to encourage everyone to respect that the Greenlanders are a people, it is their country, and only Greenland can determine and define Greenland's future," she said.
Greenland lies along the shortest route between Europe and North America, and is strategically important for the U.S. military and its ballistic missile early-warning system. It boasts mineral, oil and natural gas wealth, but development has been slow leaving its economy reliant on fishing and subsidies from Denmark.
Aaja Chemnitz, a Greenlandic member of the Danish parliament, said a U.S. takeover should be rejected.
"I don't want to be a pawn in Trump's hot dreams of expanding his empire to include our country," she wrote.
Contributing: Francesca Chambers
(This story has been updated with more information and a new photograph.)
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump Jr. arrives in Greenland after father reiterates interest