It’s Happening, Part 2: Vice President JD Vance to Join Wife in Greenland on Friday
The Vances’ focus is now on the American space base. Meanwhile, formation of new Greenland coalition government has stalled, because independent-oriented Naleraq has pulled out of talks.
Sagas are often filled with unexpected twists and turns, and the one involving President Donald Trump and Greenland is no exception.
In our most recent episode, Second Lady Usha Vance announced that she would take her three children for a cultural tour of Greenland, including its famous dog sled race. National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and Energy Secretary Chris Wright are joining Vance on the excursion to the Arctic island, against the backdrop of Trump wanting Greenland for strategic reasons.
Now Usha’s husband has announced he will be heading to Greenland this Friday.
Looking forward to visiting Greenland on Friday!
pic.twitter.com/p3HslD3hhP
— JD Vance (@JDVance) March 25, 2025
In this fun video, Vance mentions the excitement around his wife’s upcoming visit.
“Hey guys, It’s JD Vance, the vice president,” Vance said in a video posted to social media. “And you know, there was so much excitement around Usha’s visit to Greenland this Friday that I decided that I didn’t want her to have all that fun by herself, and so I’m going to join her.”
“I’m going to visit some of our guardians in the Space Force on the northwest coast of Greenland, and also just check out what’s going on with the security there of Greenland,” Vance continued. “As you know, it’s really important.
A lot of other countries have threatened Greenland, have threatened to use its territories and its waterways, to threaten the United States, to threaten Canada, and, of course, to threaten the people of Greenland. So we’re going to check out how things are going there.”
The Vice President also took a diplomatic tone, noting the visit aims to “celebrate the long history of mutual respect and cooperation between our nations.”
It appears that the new itinerary will not include attending Greenland’s national dogsled race but will focus on the American base there.
The new itinerary is for Mr. and Ms. Vance to visit Pituffik Space Base, high above the Arctic Circle, “to receive a briefing on Arctic security issues and meet with U.S. service members.”
…Initially, the plan was for Ms. Vance and one of her sons to watch a dog sled race, a cherished Greenland tradition, in Sisimiut, one of Greenland’s bigger towns. But the organizers of the race made a pointed statement on Sunday that while the race was open to the public, they had not asked the Vances to attend.
A spokeswoman for Ms. Vance denied that, saying she had received “multiple invitations.” Still, the White House announced on Tuesday that she would no longer be going to the race.
I am angry that our mainstream media has forgotten that there was a recent election in Greenland, and the current Prime Minister was jettisoned for a less socialist and more independence-minded crew. Our elite media keep asserting there is a “backlash” and the American posture is aggressive…forgetting that once the coalition government has formed, the man they keep quoting so fervently will no longer hold any power.
“We are now at a level where it can in no way be characterized as a harmless visit from a politician’s wife,” Egede told Greenlandic newspaper Sermitsiaq on Sunday, according to a translation. “Because what is the security adviser doing in Greenland? The only purpose is to show a demonstration of power to us.”
Now, in the interest of fairness, it must be noted that Greenland’s next leader wasn’t thrilled with the move.
Jens-Frederik Nielsen, leader of Greenalnd’s Demokraatit party and poised to be the country’s next prime minister following elections earlier this month, said the visit showed a “lack of respect for the Greenlandic people.”
But the complete story is that Greenland’s newly elected officials are having difficulty forming a ruling coalition, as the more independent-minded second-place finisher Naleraq has withdrawn from any coalition plans.
Greenland’s pro-independence party Naleraq has withdrawn from government formation talks, citing irreconcilable differences with the centrist party Demokraatit — a move that comes at a politically sensitive moment, as a U.S. congressional delegation visit draws outrage across Greenland and Denmark, reports DR.dk.
Demokraatit leader Jens-Frederik Nielsen announced Naleraq’s exit in a press release, stating that while his goal had been to form a broad coalition, negotiations broke down over disagreements on activating Section 21 of Greenland’s Self-Government Act — the legal mechanism that could initiate a process toward independence from Denmark.
“It has always been my intention to form a broad coalition, as I believe that is the right thing to do in the situation our country is in,” Nielsen said “But that requires agreement on the terms of such a deal, and that has proven too difficult in the talks with Naleraq.”
While the parties reportedly aligned on several policy areas, Demokraatit insisted on a cautious, step-by-step approach to independence — a strategy Naleraq could not support.
Finally, Trump notes that Greenlanders were reaching out to him.
At a cabinet meeting Monday, Trump rejected the notion that the planned visits were in any way confrontational.
“This is friendliness, not provocation. We’re dealing with a lot of people from Greenland that would like to see something happen with respect to them being properly protected and properly taken care of. They’re calling us. We’re not calling them,” Trump said on Monday.
So, the situation in Greenland is chaotic and quite fluid. In the end, I am sure better security and economic arrangements will be made,
DONATE
Donations tax deductible
to the full extent allowed by law.
Comments
Now do Gay North Dakota…
President Trump was a fool to pick a fight with Canada with his “51st state” bilge. We’d be well-advised to reject it ourselves.
Dude. The only people who take that seriously are you and Canadians. And no one cares about Canadian opinions. Or yours.
What, is this an episode of “Mean Girls”?
The rest of us have not elected you our spokesman.
Two things to consider for any news coming out of this trip. First, Europe has a frothing hatefest for anything Trump going on in their media. Anything he says, does, or they can make up is slanted right off the rails for any consumers of media in Greenland. Second, anything we hear out of Greenland is pre-slanted by our own media much the same.
vance to wife:
so where would you like to live in greenland?
wife: everywheres
vp: ok..we’ll buy the whole island
After Maidan 2014 in Ukraine, there’s ample reason to suspect that VP Vance’s visit is a “nice place you got here, Greenlanders; be a shame if Denmark let something happened to it” attempt to pressure Greenland.
Greenland is not a independent country and has not been since the Viking settlement prior to the freezing of Greenland.
I have no idea if this visit brings Denmark closer to selling us Greenland but my suspicion is that if Denmark is willing to sell this visit has jacked up the price dramatically by forcing them to endure humiliation or cause a diplomatic row with the United States.
Gestures that thwart American foreign policy aims really need to stop.
Remember when Nancy Pelosi forced the United States to lose a show of force confrontation with China by the fact that we did not break the Chinese blockade on Taiwan that was imposed following her visit?
I do it was humiliating, a needless risk and achieved nothing.
This visit is on par.
Independence Greenlanders are not inspired by the reminder that if Denmark leaves it is to make room for America.
Remain Greenlanders are not inspired by a reminder that they are a very marginal part of Denmark and if Denmark sells it will be a marginal part of America.
But we get a picture of J.D. Vance.
Both sides of the isle need to cut it out, we have serious foreign policy goals that are not served by self defeating publicity stunts.
“But the organizers of the race made a pointed statement on Sunday that while the race was open to the public, they had not asked the Vances to attend.”
That is PR speak for stay the fing hell away.
Greenland is part of Denmark no question about it, and we wish to purchase it from Denmark. There is no need to rub it in the faces of Greenlanders that they are marginal enough to be irrelevant to a land purchase in their towns.
And a follow up nobody gives a dam if a town in Denmark (50k people is little more than a town) has selected who the mayor will be. The news is how the actual sovereign governing authority feels about ongoing negotiations with the United States. Running articles depicting Denmark as irrelevant to what happens in Danish sovereign territory is doing nothing to encourage the Danes to sell it is sending a message that they need to play hardball to avoid total humiliation.
This is a voluntary sale if it happens from one ally to another ally. Denmark is not an enemy of the United States.
Very well said.
Greenland is a strategic location. We’ve had a base there for a long time. Now it’s a space force asset. As such it makes sense for both Vance and the National Security Advisor to visit.
The past PM is just posturing for European approval and for his next job. The next PM is posturing for at least part of his local audience. They should be happy US shows interest in Greenland and is willing to invest in it. While the US had its manifest destiny, its imperial age, and a willingness to use our military to protect our interests it’s been a long time since we conquered territory to expand. After all, post-WW2 we gave France, Italy, and Japan back after we essentially conquered them and could have kept them as spoils of war.
Trump could always hold onto a negotiating chip in offering to trade the US Virgin Islands (which were known as the Danish West Indies until 1917) back to Denmark in exchange for Greenland. Such a trade would give us some strategically-vital territory as a shield for North America, and give Denmark some terrific tropical tourist terrafirma.
I found out yesterday we actually purchased them. I can’t see Denmark going for that. Much more value in Greenland if there are rare earths there and closer to them.
I think the idea is Greenland becomes independent and affiliates with the US in a Compact of Free Association. We already have several such Compacts. US gets exclusive military control over island and probably first access to minerals, Seems good for all sides.
term exactly but
Leave a Comment