Donald Trump's 'Greenlandic son' thinks the US has given Greenland a bargaining chip

Australia Broadcast Center

05-05-2025

With a red MAGA hat proudly displayed on his dashboard and windscreen wipers struggling to keep up with heavy snow, Jorgen Boassen gives me a tour of Greenland's capital Nuuk.
Just a few months earlier, the builder and boxing enthusiast, who describes himself as "Trump's Greenlandic son", did a very similar tour for a special guest — Donald Trump's actual son, Don Junior.
"[It was] incredible. You know, it's said this is the new Kennedy dynasty, so it's very honourable for me to guide him," says Boassen.
The trip came just weeks after the US president reiterated his desire to own the territory, saying in a post on Truth Social: "For purposes of National Security and Freedom throughout the World, the United States of America feels that the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity."
Jorgen Boassen poses with Don Junior during his visit to Nuuk in January.
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Reuters
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Jorgen hopes Trump's interest in Greenland can help secure independence from Denmark.
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Foreign Correspondent: Greg Nelson ACS
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Don Junior's visit sparked outrage in Greenland and even allegations that his team had paid homeless people to pretend to be supporters.
Boassen denies that.
"No-one was paid. I should be paid if someone has been paid," he says. "They got the (MAGA) caps. What people are complaining about today is … there are not enough MAGA hats here in Nuuk."
One opinion poll shows the overwhelming majority of Greenlanders oppose becoming part of the United States, but a small minority are open to the idea — or at least see it as an opportunity.
Boassen falls into that camp and is a devoted fan of the US president.
He was even flown to the US by a Trump lobbyist last year to campaign for him, and managed to score an invite to the election night party at West Palm Beach where he first met Don Junior.
Greenlanders are generally opposed to Trump's rhetoric, but some see it as an opportunity.
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Foreign Correspondent: Greg Nelson ACS
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But his devotion has made him unpopular with some of his fellow Greenlanders.
"I got two death threats. I got punched in my face. I got hate messages," he says.
He's putting up with the abuse, not because he wants to be owned by the United States, but because he believes Donald Trump may hold the key to Greenlandic independence from Denmark.
"We should become a state of our own self and become independent because that is what Greenland wants to do and that always has been the dream, but we will be the closest ally to US."
Greenland is a semi-autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark and while Boassen's love of Donald Trump is not widespread, his desire for independence is.
But as the song goes, breaking up is hard to do, in this case because Denmark bankrolls around half of Greenland's budget.
Greenland is part of Denmark but has its own government.
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Foreign Correspondent: Greg Nelson ACS
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With a tiny population occupying a huge and inhospitable island, an independent Greenland needs new partners.
And Boassen is not alone in thinking the man who literally wrote the book on "the art of the deal" has given Greenland a bargaining chip in negotiations with Denmark.
"I think that we have a better cards in Greenland because of Trump," said Jorgen. "He's businessman, of course, America first, but we also have used this momentum to try to get some of that."
The shadow of Danish colonisation
Dog trainer Nive Heilmann is preparing for another day on the snow in Illulisat, over 500 kilometres north of Nuuk.
Unlike Boassen, she's no fan of Donald Trump, but she does see an opportunity in his obsession with Greenland.
"What Donald Trump said, as much as I dislike all this, I see a movement in Greenland of us realising and knowing our worth and demanding the respect," says Heilmann.
Some Greenlanders were 'taken away and shipped off to Denmark,' says Nive Heilman.
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Foreign Correspondent: Greg Nelson ACS
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She believes the US president is forcing former coloniser Denmark to confront its dark history in the Arctic island, and acknowledge the wounds it caused.
One of Denmark's most horrific practices involved the forced contraception of almost half of Greenlandic Inuit girls of child-bearing age during the 60s and 70s.
"There's this story that Denmark was the nice colonisers," she says. "They were the first to free the slaves and they were nice to the Greenlandic people. We were allowed to keep our language.
"Well, some of us were, and some of us were not allowed to have children, and some of us were taken away and shipped off to Denmark."
That's what happened to Heilmann's grandmother. At 14 years old she was taken to be Denmark and told she was Danish.
Nive says Trump's threats to take over Greenland are re-traumatising some still affected by colonisation under Denmark.
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Foreign Correspondent: Greg Nelson ACS
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"So that's part of the story that they really need to recognise," says Heilmann. "And you can't turn back time and change whatever's been done to us, but you can at least acknowledge it and say, 'Yeah, that was really not good. And we are sorry about that.'"
But she says Donald Trump's comments have caused deep fear among Greenlanders and are re-traumatising a people who've been colonised before.
"I see people and they say, they worry that the American military is here next week. You wake up in the morning and they're just here. That's a scary thought."
Pushing back against Trump
Greenland's government has been quick to condemn Donald Trump's comments and declare that Greenland is not for sale.
Mineral Resources Minister Naaja Nathanielsen has also questioned the US president's motives.
Greenland is wedged between two superpowers, the US and Russia, and has also drawn an increased interest from China. That's led Donald Trump to declare the US needs the island for national security.
Greenland's mineral resources minister Naaja Nathanielsen.
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Foreign Correspondent: Greg Nelson ACS
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But Ms Nathanielsen says the government is open to discussing a military deal with America that would expand its base presence.
"We understand why they have these concerns and this is really an open door for us," she says. "We are open to discussing military installations or others in Greenland besides the base they already have."
Many have speculated that Donald Trump is really interested in Greenland's vast critical mineral resources, many of which are essential to the green transition.
China's control of global supply for some of these key minerals has sent the US looking to secure them elsewhere.
Danish naval ships patrol Greenland's waters.
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Foreign Correspondent: Greg Nelson ACS
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"It seems like maybe more rhetoric than an actual problem because they could just invest if they so wanted," Ms Nathanielsen says.
"Right now, there's only one American-based owner in the mineral sector compared to 23 from Canada and, from the UK, 23 also. So this doesn't seem like a very plausible reason either."
She believes the real motive is simply American expansionism.
"I think there is an ideological movement that really truly believes that America is so great, it should expand, and I think that is also one of the reasons why some have an interest in Greenland."
Whatever the motive, the government has made it clear they will continue to fight.
Greenland's PM Jens-Frederik Nielsen at a rally in Nuuk protesting US plans for Greenland.
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Foreign Correspondent: Greg Nelson ACS
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When the ABC asked newly elected Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen if he was open to a deal with the US, he was clear.
"No, no, no. Right now, I think we stand together with the message, any decision about Greenland will be made in Greenland and that's how it is, and that's not negotiable."
Can Greenland make a deal?
Greenland's current landlord Denmark is also anxious about Donald Trump's obsession with its former colony.
A poll conducted earlier this year found more Danes saw the US as a threat than Iran or North Korea.
Politicians, like leader of the Social Liberal Party Martin Lidegaard, have had to play a delicate game with a president who has a propensity for retribution.
A protester holds a sign with a message for Donald Trump and US vice president JD Vance.
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Foreign Correspondent: Greg Nelson ACS
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"Denmark, as a small loyal ally to the US, is facing a kind of foreign policy crisis right now because the US is our strongest military ally," says Mr Lindegaard. "And when that ally suddenly wants to grab a part of the kingdom's territory, we are in a new situation."
Donald Trump hasn't ruled out using force to take Greenland — a threat that's worried politicians like him.
"We take it quite seriously because we are both military and economically very close to the US," he says.
"On the other hand, we are quite determined that it's a very strong principle that you don't change borders like that and we are not in the situation as Denmark that we can sell anything, at least not Greenland, which is its own population and own territory."
The US president's interest in Greenland has forced Denmark to have a difficult reckoning with its colonial legacy in the territory.
Greenland lies at a strategic point between Russia and the USA.
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Foreign Correspondent: Greg Nelson ACS
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Martin Lidegaard acknowledges mistakes were made.
"I do understand that there is a big part of the Greenlandic population who feel mistreated and shameful about the past," he says.
"And I also think myself that Denmark has made many mistakes historically. I also think that the true problem is so complicated.
"This is not to take away the Danish responsibility. We should carry that and probably also more open than we do today, but we have to get over with the past in order to focus on the future."
Conservative Party MP Rasmus Jarlov is dismissive of the idea that Greenlanders may see a better life if they break away from Denmark and partner with the US instead.
"There are very, very few people in Greenland who think that it would be better to be part of the United States than to be part of Denmark," he says.
"I know that many Americans think that being American is the best thing that could happen to anyone in the world, but the rest of the world does not see it that way."
Greenland says it's open to closer strategic ties with the US and welcomes more American mining investment.
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Foreign Correspondent: Greg Nelson ACS
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He's concerned Donald Trump's comments are also threatening the future of NATO, an important military alliance of 32 countries formed in the aftermath of World War II.
"If the US does not accept that they can't take territories from NATO allies, obviously NATO will be dead," he says.
"We have NATO to protect us from foreign powers taking our territory, and if foreign powers within NATO try to take our territory, then we don't have an alliance anymore."
Watch Greenland: Hot Property tonight on Foreign Correspondent at 8pm on ABC TV and ABC iview.