There is something we need to understand about Donald Trump. He has some interesting patterns. He starts off with a joke, but then people notice that he does not let his idea go. At some point, he digs in his heels and demands it. It does not stop there.
The president appears to accept people’s arguments, logic, and appeals to his better angels. Then sometime later, the submerged idea raises its ugly head full-formed and headed toward implementation.
His idea to buy Greenland, the largest island in the world and autonomous territory of Demark sounded like a joke. It sprang out of Trump’s body like the fully-formed alien forced itself from Sigourney Weaver’s body in the 1979 movie Alien.
People continued to laugh out of nervousness hoping it was still a joke. Alas, it was not. The idea started at least one year ago. The president had every intention of heading over to Denmark after requesting a state dinner and all of the trimmings. He was going to make the country an offer they could not refuse.
Yet, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen did. She rejected Trump’s offer of buying the island and its 57,000 residents. He canceled the trip and insulted her, calling her “nasty.”
Trump was offended by the prime minister’s comment that selling Greenland was an “absurd discussion.”
Trump said:
‘It was nasty. I thought it was an inappropriate statement. All she had to do is say, “No, we wouldn’t be interested.”‘
Listen to the president, he has trouble differentiating between himself and America:
 ‘She’s not talking to me. She’s talking to the United States of America. You don’t talk to the United States that way, at least under me.’
Then, he tweeted about the NATO’s members’ countries:
‘We protect Europe and yet, only 8 of the 28 NATO countries are at the 2% mark.’
Rather than go to war with Trump over her territory, Frederiksen was gracious in her televised response to the U.S. president:
‘I’m not going to enter a war of words with anybody, nor with the American president.’
She added that she thought the Dane’s response was “good and wise.” Never mind that POTUS canceled two weeks before the visit. Its preparations were well underway and nearing completion.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was left to clean up the president’s mess. He called his equivalent partner across the pond Jeppe Kofod and offered the U.S.’s:
‘…appreciation for Denmark’s cooperation as one of the United States’ allies.’
Kofod responded via tweet:
“Appreciate frank, friendly and constructive talk with @SecPompeo this evening, affirming strong US-DK bond. US & Denmark are close friends and allies with long history of active engagement across globe.’
Former ambassador to NATO for President Barack Obama said:
‘This is yet another blow to American credibility under President Trump,No leader, friend or foe, will take America seriously. It’s not just the unthinkable notion of buying and selling territory as if we’re talking about a building or golf course. It’s also the abrupt cancellation of a state visit as a result of the totally predictable rejection of that notion.’
A former official noted that POTUS joked in a meeting about trading Puerto Rico for Greenland. Maybe, that was no joke either.
The Mueller Report Adventures: In Bite-Sizes on this Facebook page. These quick, two-minute reads interpret the report in normal English for busy people. Mueller Bite-Sizes uncovers what is essentially a compelling spy mystery. Interestingly enough, Mueller Bite-Sizes can be read in any order.
