Since Donald Trump’s return to the presidency, he has called for Canada to become the 51st US state, suggested that the US could take over the Panama Canal and the Gaza Strip, and proposed to buy Greenland, and now Denmark, which owns Greenland, is making its move – more than 200 000 Danes have signed a satirical petition to buy California from the US, on Tuesday, the 11th of February, reports The Guardian.
Thousands of people have signed a petition supporting “Denmarkification” to buy California from the US, while renaming Disneyland “Hans Christian Andersen Land”.
“Have you ever looked at a map and thought: ‘You know what Denmark needs? More sun, palm trees and roller skates.’ We have a unique opportunity to turn this dream into reality,” the petition states. “Let’s buy California from Donald Trump!”
The slogan “Måke Califørnia Great Ægain” (“Let’s Make California Great Again”) is displayed at the top of the petition’s website.
Apparent supporters such as Lars Ulrich of Metallica, Viggo Mortensen of Lord of the Rings and Hans Christian Andersen have also outlined why California should become the “new Denmark”.
This petition is in response to President Donald Trump’s repeatedly expressed interest in making Greenland part of the USA. In January, Trump did not rule out using military force or economic pressure to achieve this, saying that the territory is vital to US national security.
“We will bring hygge to Hollywood, bike lanes to Beverly Hills and organic smørrebrød to every street corner. We will probably introduce the rule of law, universal healthcare and fact-based policies,” the petition reads.
“Let’s be honest – Trump is not California’s biggest fan. He has called it the “most ruined state” and has been at loggerheads with its leadership for years. We’re pretty sure he’d be willing to part with it for the right price.”
Since Trump took office, relations between Trump and California’s Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom have been tense – he recently diverted 50 million US dollars to fight the Trump administration and its deportation efforts, while Trump has threatened to suspend federal disaster aid to the state after the Los Angeles wildfires.
The petition aims to raise one trillion US dollars (“give or take a few billion”) and get 500 000 signatures.
In January, speaking on Danish television, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said that Greenland “is not for sale” and “belongs to the people of Greenland”.
Trump started discussing the idea of acquiring Greenland in 2019, saying the US needed to control the autonomous territory “for economic security”.
The Arctic island is thought to be rich in oil and gas, as well as other raw materials essential for green technologies, which have become available as huge ice caps and glaciers melt as a result of the climate crisis. Melting ice also has opened up new shipping routes.
While the Danish petition to acquire California may be a joke, the US offer to buy Greenland seems quite serious. Buddy Carter, a Republican state representative from Georgia, announced that he has introduced a bill to authorise the purchase of Greenland and rename it the “Red, White and Blue Land”.
Danish MP Anders Vistisen of the right-wing Danish People’s Party has called the proposal “absurd”.
“It is clear that when the US administration is formulating foreign policy, more adult supervision is needed,” he told Politico.