Danes pour scorn on Trump after state visit postponement

The postponement of the visit, scheduled for September 2^nd and 3^rd, was announced by Trump on Twitter in the early hours of Wednesday Danish time, ostensibly because Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen refused to countenance selling Greenland to the US.

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• Trump cancels visit after Denmark dismisses Greenland sale
• Barack Obama to return to Denmark in September

Danish commentators were quick to give their views on Trump’s conduct over the Denmark state visit, in press comments and on social media.

“This is an unprecedented situation. It’s hard to find the right words. Nobody behaves like this on the international stage, least of all an American president,” Thomas Larsen, political commentator with newspaper Berlingske, told Ritzau.

“It’s a heavyweight-class insult. A state visit normally confirms a friendship, a relationship and an alliance between two countries,” Larsen added.

Politicians on Denmark's right were vocal about the issue on Wednesday morning.

“As a Dane (and a conservative) it is very hard to believe. For no reason Trump assumes that (an autonomous) part of our country is for sale. Then insultingly cancels visit that everybody was preparing for,” tweeted Rasmus Jarlov, a finance spokesperson with the Conservatives known for posting strident right-wing views on social media.

“Are parts of the US for sale? Alaska? Please show more respect,” Jarlov added.

Jarlov’s party colleague Mai Mercado, the former children’s minister, flipped Trump’s tweet postponing the visit.

“The US is a very special country with incredible people, but based on President Trump’s comments on buying Greenland, Denmark will gladly be postponing our meeting scheduled in two weeks for... well, until another President takes office,” Mercado wrote, adding the hashtag #notarealestatedeal.

READ ALSO: Trump confirms interest in buying Greenland, despite Danish dismissals

Søren Espersen, the deputy leader of the populist Danish People’s Party (DF), who had already reacted testily to reports Trump wanted to buy Greenland, tweeted he would rather Trump stay away from Denmark altogether.

“So Mr. Trump- you have now decided to postpone your visit to Denmark. Why not just cancel? We are so busy here with other things…” Espersen wrote.

Former DF party leader and speaker of parliament Pia Kjærsgaard said Trump had insulted Queen Margrethe, who officially invited the president for a state visit to Denmark.

“My goodness… President Trump cancels his visit to Denmark on Twitter because we won’t sell Greenland. Shameful behaviour towards the Danish people and the Queen, who invited him,” Kjærsgaard wrote.

“Total lack of respect and manners,” she added.

Morten Østergaard, leader of the centre-left Social Liberals, said the episode proved “reality was stranger than fantasy”.

“There must have been someone in the US foreign department who could have told Trump the answer (to an offer to buy Greenland) beforehand,” Østergaard wrote.

“This shows, more than ever before, why we should consider the EU countries our closest allies. The man is unreliable,” he added in reference to Trump’s conduct.

Stockholm University journalism professor Christian Christensen noted that Trump now had a full set of ridiculous episodes with Nordic countries (with the possible exception of Iceland).

READ ALSO: Opinion: Denmark should cancel Trump's state visit