Trump naming special envoy to Greenland angers Denmark, prompting it to call in U.S. ambassador

[LetMyPeopleVote]

36. MaddowBlog-In a weird move, Trump taps Louisiana's Landry to serve as a special envoy to Greenland

The governor already has a full-time job, but the Republican has apparently accepted a new and unexpected side gig.

Why does Trump want Greenland? “National security.”

Why should Trump’s ballroom vanity project proceed? “National security.”

Why is Trump killing the wind energy industry? “National security.”

Why does Trump hate the New York Times? “National security.”

The pattern is ... not subtle.

— Steve Benen (@stevebenen.com) 2025-12-23T15:43:40.829Z

https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/in-a-weird-move-trump-taps-louisianas-landry-to-serve-as-a-special-envoy-to-greenland

Gov. Jeff Landry already has his hands full with a full-time job, but the Louisiana Republican has apparently accepted a new and unexpected side gig. Reuters reported:

President Donald Trump named Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry on Sunday as his special envoy to Greenland, drawing renewed criticism from Denmark and Greenland over Washington’s interest in the mineral-rich Arctic island. […]

Landry, in a post on X, thanked Trump: ‘It’s an honor to serve … in this volunteer position to make Greenland a part of the U.S. This in no way affects my position as Governor of Louisiana!’

Late last year, when Trump was still in his post-election transition period, he announced plans to try to annex Greenland for reasons he struggled to explain. In the weeks and months that followed, the Republican suggested he was quite serious about his imperialistic ambitions — in March, he refused to take the possible use of force off the table — and as 2025 comes to an end, the president has tapped Landry as a special envoy because, as he put it, the governor “understands how essential Greenland is to our National Security.”

Everything about this story remains quite odd, in part because the White House continues to infuriate Denmark, a longtime NATO ally, and in part because Greenland clearly has no interest in becoming part of the United States.....

Indeed, despite the fact that special envoys have tended to be used for areas facing international crises, Trump tapped others for envoy roles, leading to inevitable diplomatic confusion about who, exactly, speaks on behalf of the administration.

With the addition of Landry to the diplomatic team, the problem is suddenly worse for reasons the White House has yet to explain