Trump insists Usha Vance's visit to Greenland is 'friendly'
US President Donald Trump on Monday insisted that second lady Usha Vance's planned visit to Greenland is about "friendliness, not provocation."
"This is friendliness and provocation. We're dealing with a lot of people from Greenland that would like to see something happen with respect to their being properly protected and properly taken care of," Trump said during a Cabinet meeting.
The wife of US Vice President JD Vance, Usha Vance, is set to travel to Greenland this week as Trump continues to suggest the US could take control of the mineral-rich Arctic island.
Her office said Vance will leave on Thursday and return on Saturday.
Usha will be part of a US delegation set to 'visit historical sites, learn about Greenlandic heritage, and attend the Avannaata Qimussersu, Greenland's national dogsled race.'
Trump's conciliatory tone on Monday comes as Greenland's prime minister Múte Bourup Egede warned of 'American aggression' and lamented a 'mess' caused by the upcoming visit from Vance, who will be joined by Trump's national security adviser and energy secretary.
Trump claimed to have been receiving positive overtures from the island nation, although authorities there have clearly expressed concerns ahead of the visit.
There is 'worry on the Island'
Egede, who remains in the post as Greenland's prime minister until a new government is formed, acknowledged Sunday on Facebook that there is worry on the island.
The visit of 'the wife of the United States vice president and the United States president's highest security adviser cannot be seen only as a private visit, "he said. 'We can already see now how big a mess it's caused.'
Egede said there would be no official meetings with the US visitors because a new government has yet to be formed.
He called on Greenland's allies to show support, adding that 'the only purpose' of a trip by Waltz is 'a demonstration of power to us, and the signal is not to be misunderstood.'
'We have been treated unacceptably,' he wrote on his Facebook account.
Related
Greenland's prime minister condemns US officials' visit as 'demonstration of power'
Greenland's likely next leader calls for unity
However, Demokraatit's Jens-Frederik Nielsen, the likely next Greenlandic leader, attempted to allay fears by announcing that he was forming a new coalition government "with the clear goal of creating security for our country and our people."
'When foreign dignitaries travel to our country on what are called private visits, it rightly causes concern,' he wrote on Facebook. 'There is no reason to panic. But there is good reason to stand together and to demand respect. I do. And I will continue to do so.'
Greenland is a self-governing region of Denmark, and northwestern Greenland houses the US Pituffik military base that falls under the Pentagon's Space Force.
ADVERTISEMENT
But Trump has repeatedly said that he thinks the US should take control of Greenland for strategic and national security purposes, something that has rattled NATO ally Denmark and the European Union.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
LeMonde
37 minutes ago
- LeMonde
US regulators greenlight contentious $8 billion Skydance-Paramount merger
US regulators on Thursday, July 24, approved an $8 billion deal for Skydance to acquire Paramount Global amid tumult in the latter's news and late-night programming on CBS, a leading American broadcaster. Clearance of the acquisition comes after Paramount settled US President Donald Trump's lawsuit over election coverage on CBS News' flagship show 60 Minutes, and a week after CBS canceled The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. The comedian had blasted the $16 million settlement of Trump's lawsuit as "a big fat bribe" to win approval of the merger with Skydance. Colbert's show is slated to end in 2026, and is staple of late-night US television that often mocks Trump. CBS said in a statement the cancellation was "purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night," and was "not related in any way to the show's performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount." Paramount reached a settlement with Trump this month in a lawsuit the entertainment giant itself had described as meritless. The Republican president had sued Paramount for $20 billion last year, alleging that CBS News' 60 Minutes news program deceptively edited an interview with his 2024 election rival, Kamala Harris, in her favor. To promote the show, 60 Minutes had shown a shortened clip or "tease" of Harris speaking on earlier network programming, and the full quote was aired on the Sunday evening broadcast. Trump objected to the use of the shorter clip. The FCC chair doubled down on the Trump administration's criticisms of CBS News. "Americans no longer trust the legacy national news media to report fully, accurately and fairly," Carr said in the statement. "It is time for a change. That is why I welcome Skydance's commitment to make significant changes at the once storied CBS broadcast network." Suspicious timing? The FCC's approval of the merger "reeks of the worst form of corruption," Democratic Senators Edward Markey and Ben Ray Lujan said in a joint statement. "The timing speaks for itself," Markey and Lujan said. "Paramount settled with Trump on Tuesday and the FCC approved the merger on Thursday." Markey last week sent a letter to Paramount Global Chair Shari Redstone demanding details about the decision to cancel "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," specifically whether anyone in the Trump administration asked for the show to be cancelled, according to a copy posted at his official website. Help us improve Le Monde in English Dear reader, We'd love to hear your thoughts on Le Monde in English! Take this quick survey to help us improve it for you. Colbert said on Thursday the cancellation was not just the end of his show but the end of the decades-old Late Show franchise, which has been broadcast continuously on CBS since 1993 and was previously hosted by David Letterman. Trump celebrated the cancellation, writing on his Truth Social platform, "I absolutely love that Colbert got fired. His talent was even less than his ratings." Trump's political opponents and other critics drew attention to the timing of the decision. "CBS canceled Colbert's show just THREE DAYS after Colbert called out CBS parent company Paramount for its $16M settlement with Trump – a deal that looks like bribery," Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren said on social media platform X. Colbert, once a regular on Comedy Central, made use of humor in his incisive political commentary and succeeded Letterman as the host of The Late Show in 2015. The late-night television landscape has long been dominated by satirical comedy shows that blend entertainment with news and political commentary. As a condition of approval, Skydance will put in place an "ombudsman" who will evaluate complaints of bias, according to Carr. "Skydance, which has no DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) programs in place today, has committed that it will not establish any such initiatives at the new company," Carr said in a release.
France 24
3 hours ago
- France 24
Balancing act for pro-Trump influencers as Epstein furor spirals
Trump's core Make America Great Again base has erupted in anger over the White House's handling of the so-called "Epstein files," viewing it as a betrayal by the Republican and his allies who have long championed the unfounded theory that powerful elites orchestrated a massive child sex trafficking cover-up. Calls for the release of those files could intensify after a US media report on Wednesday said Trump's name was among hundreds found during an official review of documents on Epstein, a claim the White House has denied. Faced with a choice between alienating a base fervently demanding answers or defying Trump -- who has implored them to move on -- MAGA-aligned influencers and podcasters find themselves in a political bind. MAGA media are "definitely walking a fine line with the Epstein debacle," Mike Rothschild, an expert on conspiracy theories, told AFP. "Trump demanding that nobody talk about Epstein should be a betrayal for them. But they're so invested in supporting Trump, and have built their financial support around it, that they really can't do anything but make excuses and tie themselves in knots." Some MAGA influencers, however, turned sharply critical in recent weeks. Among them is Rogan O'Handley, who was invited to the White House in February alongside a handful of influencers and presented with binders labeled "The Epstein Files: Phase 1," only to find they offered little new information. "This is a shameful coverup to protect the most heinous elites," O'Handley told his 2.2 million followers on X earlier this month. "We were told multiple times the files would be released and now it looks like backroom deals have been made to keep them hidden." 'Fanatically loyal' Charlie Kirk, a Trump loyalist and podcaster, faced an avalanche of criticism from the MAGA base after he initially said he was "done talking" about Epstein, and added he was going to trust "my friends in the administration." "Trump's base has been fanatically loyal, and influencers are hesitant about opposing Trump directly if that threatens the size of their audiences," Matt Gertz, senior fellow at the watchdog Media Matters for America, told AFP. Fueling the MAGA base's anger were conclusions from the Justice Department and FBI that Epstein -- a disgraced financier who died in jail in 2019 -- did not maintain a "client list" as conspiracy theorists have contended. Attorney General Pam Bondi emerged as their key target for criticism after announcing no more information would be forthcoming. But Trump has defended Bondi, while claiming without evidence on Truth Social that the Epstein files were written by his political rivals "Obama, Crooked Hillary, Comey, Brennan, and the losers and criminals of the Biden administration." That response prompted disbelief from Benny Johnson, a longtime Trump supporter and right-wing podcaster. " By admitting that the Epstein Files are real, and that you've read them, and you don't like their contents, and they were written by your enemies, it doesn't make the most compelling case as far as I'm concerned. Holy moly," Johnson said. 'Moving target' Seeking to redirect attention within the MAGA base -- an echo chamber fueled by constant grievance and outrage -- Trump has launched attacks on familiar enemies: former president Barack Obama and the media. The White House has promoted the unfounded claim that Obama led a "years-long coup" against Trump around his victorious 2016 election. The former president has rejected the claim. The White House has also barred The Wall Street Journal from traveling with Trump during his upcoming visit to Scotland, after the newspaper reported that he wrote a bawdy birthday message to Epstein. Trump on Friday sued the WSJ and its media magnate owner Rupert Murdoch for at least $10 billion over the allegation in the article, which Trump denies. Following those moves, Stephen Bannon, host of the influential "War Room" podcast, sought to rally influencers behind Trump, telling US media that the MAGA base was "completely unified because now we're on offense." "The MAGA media's take on the Epstein case is both fractured and very much a moving target," said Gertz. "Trump's recent attacks on The Wall Street Journal and new conspiracy theories about Obama seem to be refocusing their attention away from Epstein -- though it's unclear for how long, particularly given the new revelation that Trump himself is named in the files."
LeMonde
4 hours ago
- LeMonde
Trump, Fed chief Powell bicker during tense central bank visit
Donald Trump and US Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell appeared together for a tense meeting Thursday as the president toured the central bank after ramping up his attacks on its management of the economy. Trump – who wants to oust Powell for refusing to lower interest rates but likely lacks the legal authority to do so – has threatened to fire the Fed chief over cost overruns for a renovation of its Washington headquarters. During a brief but painfully awkward exchange in front of reporters during a tour of the building, the pair bickered over the price tag for the makeover, which Trump said was $3.1 billion. The actual cost of the facelift has been put at $2.5 billion and Powell was quick to correct the president, telling him: "I haven't heard that from anybody." Trump apparently produced a sheet of paper listing construction costs and was told curtly that he was including work on the William McChesney Martin Jr. Building, which was not part of the project. "You're including the Martin renovation – you just added in a third building," Powell scolded. Trump stuck to his guns, saying it was part of the overall redevelopment. Powell shot back: "No, it was built five years ago. We finished Martin five years ago... It's not new." Trump moved on but the tense atmosphere between the pair was almost palpable, with the Republican leader unaccustomed to being contradicted live on air. The tour came with Trump desperate to shift the focus away from the crisis engulfing his administration over its decision to close the file on multi-millionaire sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who died in 2019 while awaiting trial on trafficking charges. Attorney General Pam Bondi informed the president in the spring that his name appeared in the Epstein files, according to the Wall Street Journal. Epstein was accused of procuring underage girls for sex with his circle of wealthy, high-profile associates when he died by suicide in a New York jail cell. Trump has picked all manner of targets, including his Democratic predecessors and former chiefs of the security and intelligence services, as he tries to move Epstein out of the headlines. He berated Powell over interest rates on Wednesday and alluded to his annoyance over the cost of borrowing more than 10 times during Thursday's tour. "As good as we're doing, we'd do better if we had lower interest rates," he told reporters. 'Do the right thing' Presidential visits to the Federal Reserve are not unheard of – Franklin D. Roosevelt, Gerald Ford and George W. Bush all made the trip – but they are rare. Trump has criticized Powell for months over his insistence on keeping the short-term interest rate at 4.3 percent this year, after cutting it three times last year, when Joe Biden was in office. Partner service Learn French with Gymglish Thanks to a daily lesson, an original story and a personalized correction, in 15 minutes per day. Try for free Powell says he is monitoring the response of the economy to Trump's dizzying array of import tariffs, which he has warned could lead to a hike in inflation. But Trump has angrily accused Powell of holding back the economy, calling the man he nominated in his first term "stupid" and a "loser." The president struck a more conciliatory tone later Thursday, telling reporters they'd had a "productive talk" on the economy, with "no tension." "It may be a little too late, as the expression goes, but I believe he's going to do the right thing," Trump said. Soaring costs for the Fed's facelift of its 88-year-old Washington headquarters and a neighboring building – up by $600 million from an initial $1.9 billion estimate – have caught Trump's eye. A significant driver of the cost is security, including blast-resistant windows and measures to prevent the building from collapsing in the event of an explosion. The Federal Reserve, the world's most important central bank, makes independent monetary policy decisions and its board members typically serve under both Republican and Democratic presidents. Experts question whether Trump has the authority to fire Powell, especially since a Supreme Court opinion in May that allowed the president to remove other independent agency members but suggested that this did not apply to the Fed.
