Here’s our self-described Oval Office “genius” at work:
“We gave back Greenland to Denmark after World War II. How stupid were we to do that, we did that.” — President Donald Trump at the 2026 World Economic Forum, 1/20/2026 (see #1)
When will Trump’s most ardent sympathizers and supporters stop making excuses for his steady stream of whoppers? It’s dangerous. The reporter Salena Zito in September 2016 laid the groundwork for the omnibus excuse for Trump’s habitual use of shameless falsehoods when she wrote, “When he makes claims like this, the press takes him literally, but not seriously; his supporters take him seriously, but not literally.” Her rendering of seriously and literally may be true but when combined with diplomacy, he is a fool. He puts us in peril.
Whoppers are not the only common feature in Trump’s spiel. The guy’s secret sauce in international diplomacy is to beat up on friends, allies, and anyone weak, vulnerable, and dependent on us, the low hanging fruit, the ones truly susceptible to his threats and cajolery. The “Art of the Deal” is to pander to thugs while treating our partners to the worst sort of threats and brow-beating. Putin and Xi get kid gloves while everyone else gets the Zelensky treatment. Remember the infamous February 2025 meeting with Zelensky in the White House? Go ahead, read the transcript here (see #2). The tactic is to drag the victim closer to the victimizer, while expecting minimal face-saving gestures on the part of the reprobate. There you have it, The Art of the Deal, the diplomacy edition.
The above verbal blast before a forum of people at Davos who know better is flat out false. We never “gave back” Greenland to Demark, nor was its claim of sovereignty over the place seriously challenged for three centuries. How brazenly false is the bombast? Let me count the ways (see #1 and #3).
* In 1721, the unified kingdom of Denmark-Norway began a concerted effort at settlement of Greenland. No one seriously contested the move.
* In 1814, Denmark’s retention of control of Greenland was confirmed after the Napoleonic Wars in the Treaty of Kiel.
* In 1941, after the Nazi conquest of Denmark, the Danish government in exile signed an agreement with the US to help Denmark’s government-in-exile keep Greenland out of the hands of the Nazis. The pact recognized Denmark’s sovereignty of the place.
* In 1951, a defense pact between the US and Denmark for the US to build Thule Airforce Base in Greenland recognized “the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Denmark” over the island.
* In 1954, the US supported the successful passage of the UN resolution guaranteeing Denmark’s sovereignty over Greenland.
Yes, Truman in 1946 offered to buy the island but Denmark rejected the offer, and the matter died there till our orange and elderly loose cannon in the White House started to make noise about the place.
It’s what Trump does in his Art of the Deal praxis: maul our friends and allies, like Demark or Ukraine – watch out Taiwan – because they won’t shoot back. As for Putin and Xi, Putin’s possession of 5,460 nuclear warheads and Xi’s CCP, with the second largest economy, 600 and growing nuclear warheads, and nearly 400 warships and submarines, get the equivalent of a Valentine’s Day bouquet of roses and a peck on the cheek. And for this he deserves the Nobel Peace Prize?
Honestly, Trump’s foreign policy is the one typically exercised in the schoolyard. Ingratiate yourself to the bullies and treat weaker friends and allies with risible contempt. Makes you wonder, is Trump a juvenile 79-year-old? Is he exhibiting signs of age-related mental decay, different from Biden’s only in kind? Something to think about, and be concerned about since this guy has the security of the country in his hands.
Near and current octogenarians wanting to be president may not mean that we’ll get the wisdom of advanced age. It could mean that we get the opinionated old fart who causes worries for everyone at Thanksgiving dinner. Biden, now Trump. Go figure.
RogerG
Source:
1. “Did US give Greenland to Denmark after WW2? Fact-checking Trump’s ‘stupid’ claim at Davos”, Hindustan Times, 1/21/2026, at https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/us-news/did-us-own-greenland-give-to-denmark-after-world-war-2-fact-checking-trumps-stupid-claim-at-davos-101769010422536.html.
2. “Vance’s heated argument in the Oval Office”, transcript, AP, 2/26/2025, at https://apnews.com/article/trump-zelenskyy-vance-transcript-oval-office-80685f5727628c64065da81525f8f0cf.
3. “The Cold War Agreement That Opened Greenland to the US Military”, History, 1/15/2026, at https://www.history.com/articles/1951-agreement-that-allows-us-military-presence-in-greenland.