Trump's Special Envoy to Greenland Jeered by Nuuk Residents

Diplomatic efforts by President Donald Trump’s special envoy to Greenland, Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry, were met with a cool reception from locals. On his first visit to the capital Nuuk, Landry reportedly faced boos from residents who oppose the United States’ bid to seize control of the autonomous territory. Landry’s visit aimed to ease tensions after President Trump repeatedly threatened to annex Greenland on grounds of US national security. But a video circulated on social media shows Landry being shouted at as he walked through the city centre. ‘Don’t come here!’ someone shouted in the recording.

According to The New York Times, Landry strolled through Nuuk offering MAGA hats to residents; very few accepted. Instead, many residents expressed displeasure and some gave insulting gestures to the American delegation. ‘They should fix their own country first,’ said Nuuk resident Hanne Hansen to the media.

Although the White House claimed the meeting with Greenland’s senior officials was productive, Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen offered a much sterner statement. After meeting Landry on Monday (18 May 2026), Nielsen asserted that the sovereignty of the region cannot be negotiated. ‘The people of Greenland are not for sale. The right to self-determination of the Greenlandic people is not something to be negotiated,’ Nielsen said, as quoted by Danish media TV 2.

Interestingly, despite the apparent on-the-ground rejection, Landry via his X account thanked the reception he claimed to have received in Greenland. He said he would continue to work to deepen ties between the two nations.

A White House spokesperson, Olivia Wales, added that the US remains optimistic about staying on course to address national security interests in Greenland. She described Landry as a strong asset in Trump’s team for pursuing long-term peace.

But evidence on the ground shows the diplomatic challenges for the US. At a business conference site, posters reading ‘ASU’ (in Greenlandic means ‘stop it’) appeared alongside American symbols, signalling the Arctic community’s resistance to Washington’s ambition. (Newsweek/I-2)