Thousands of Danish citizens have signed a petition to buy the US state of California, after campaigners launched a bid to purchase the state in response to President Donald Trump’s remarks about buying Greenland from Denmark.
The satirical “Denmarkification” petition has so far garnered almost 200,000 signatures (out of the 500,000 it hopes to gain) and aims to crowdfund $1 trillion.
Across the top of the petition’s website, a slogan using Danish characters proposes to “Make California Great Again,” whilst supposed supporters like Lars Ulrich of band Metallica and Viggo Mortensen of Lord of the Rings fame offer their reasons for making California “New Denmark.”
“Have you ever looked at a map and thought, ‘You know what Denmark needs? More sunshine, palm trees and roller skates.’ Well, we have once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make that dream a reality,” the petition reads. “Let’s buy California from Donald Trump!”
“We’ll bring hygge to Hollywood, bike lanes to Beverly Hills and smorrebrod to every street corner. Rule of law, universal healthcare and fact-based politics might apply,” the petition continues.
President Trump’s idea to purchase Greenland
Donald Trump began floating the idea of buying Greenland, the world’s largest island, in 2019, before he was elected U.S. President, saying the US needed to control it “for economic security.”
Before taking office for his second term on January 20, 2025, Trump said he would not rule out the use of military force to seize control of the Panama Canal and Greenland, leaving open the use of the American military to secure both territories for “national security purposes.”
“I’m not going to commit to that,” Trump said when asked if he would rule out the use of the military.
Greenland, home to a large US military base, is an autonomous territory of Denmark, a long-time US ally and a NATO founding member. Trump has also cast doubts on the legitimacy of Denmark’s claim to Greenland, which is believed to be rich in oil, gas and other raw materials essential to green technology that are becoming available as massive ice glaciers are melting due to the climate crisis.
Addressing Trump’s comments on the possible use of military force in an interview with Danish broadcaster TV2, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called the United States Denmark’s “most important and closest ally.”
Frederiksen repeated that she welcomed the United States taking a greater interest in the Arctic region, but that it would “have to be done in a way that is respectful of the Greenlandic people,” she said.
Similarly, following a visit from Donald Trump Jr earlier this year, Greenland’s Prime Minister, Mute Egede, said: “We are Greenlanders. We don’t want to be Americans. We don’t want to be Danish either. Greenland’s future will be decided by Greenland.”
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