Denmark and other nations under pressure seek lobbyists with Trump ties
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BGR Group, a powerhouse firm founded by establishment Republicans in the 1990s, also signed a $600,000 one-year contract in late November with the Embassy of Somalia, which is facing the prospect that Trump's administration might scale back military cooperation.
And South Korea, which could be hurt by tariffs, expanded its lobbying corps after the election to bring aboard former Trump campaign adviser Bryan Lanza and his team at Mercury Public Affairs, according to lobbying filings and a person familiar with the engagement.
The surge in interest from foreign governments in lobbyists with connections to the new administration underscores the uncertainty with which even longtime US allies regard Trump. The administration's brinkmanship with Colombia over tariffs and the deportation of immigrants over the weekend showed how quickly any tensions could escalate.
The desire for assistance navigating Trump's chaotic approach to foreign policy comes as his allies have increasingly become fixtures in Washington's influence industry, a shift from when he first took office after a campaign in which he pledged to 'drain the swamp.' In 2017, few established lobbying firms had ties to his new administration, allowing a wave of newcomers to elbow their way onto K Street, the downtown boulevard that once housed the capital's top lobbying firms.
And yet the shopping spree for lobbyists in the early days of Trump's second administration has created a dilemma for influence professionals who want to stay on his good side and maintain their access while also getting results for their clients. Representing a country that Trump has targeted could risk blowback from a president who has been sensitive to perceptions of disloyalty or the specter of associates profiting from their affiliation with him.
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The Danish Embassy was turned away by the firm of Brian Ballard, a top fund-raiser for Trump, according to two people familiar with the country's outreach who spoke on the condition of anonymity to reveal private discussions. Ballard's firm, which was based in Florida, launched a Washington operation at the beginning of Trump's first term, and it has found itself in high demand since election night. The firm declined to comment.
The Danes also have had talks with BGR Group, according to four people with knowledge of the discussions. One of them said BGR Group appeared disinclined to accept the engagement.
A spokesperson for BGR Group did not respond to requests for comment.
In a statement, the Danish Embassy said it 'has not hired a lobbying firm on this issue.' It declined to address whether it was seeking one.
Jesper Moller Sorensen, Denmark's ambassador to the United States, also declined in an interview to discuss the K Street outreach, but he said that 'Denmark is looking forward to having a very constructive relationship with the Trump administration.'
The effort by Denmark to hire a well-connected Washington hand comes amid intensifying concern in Denmark and Greenland about Trump's stated intention to take control of the island. He has hinted at the possibility of using military force to facilitate the purchase of Greenland, the strategically important Arctic island that is a self-ruling territory of Denmark.
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Danish and Greenlandic politicians have categorically rejected the prospect of a sale, sometimes in confrontational terms. The standoff is unlike anything the Danes have experienced in their recent relationship with the United States, one of Denmark's biggest trade partners and a major ally.
It is not clear the last time the Danes retained a traditional lobbyist in Washington. The Foreign Ministry paid US consultants during the Biden administration and Trump's first term for public relations assistance related to American tourism, according to records filed with the Justice Department under the Foreign Agents Registration Act. Before that, the embassy had last paid for such assistance in 2016, when it retained the firm Fleishman-Hillard for two months to help promote a trade mission.
The types of government-to-government interactions upon which the Danes and Greenlanders have relied in Washington do not seem to be having the desired effect in the current situation.
Five days before Trump took office, he had a contentious 45-minute telephone call with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen. She made various suggestions for more cooperation on military and economic issues but insisted that Greenland, which already hosts an important US base, was not for sale.
On Tuesday, Greenlandic Prime Minister Mute Egede told reporters that his government was trying to set up a meeting with Trump to discuss their opposition to the sale.
'You can't get around the fact that if they want to talk about Greenland, they have to talk to Greenland,' Egede said.
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