In what looks like a cross between a geopolitical tantrum and a middle-of-the-night Truth Social feeding frenzy, President Donald Trump launched a blistering series of posts early Tuesday that thrust Greenland back into the center of a diplomatic maelstrom.
Trump’s barrage came with AI-generated images, leaked private messages from world leaders and thinly veiled insults aimed at NATO allies.
At the heart of it all was the same refrain Trump has been pushing: Greenland is “imperative for National and World Security,” and “there is no going back.” That claim, posted well after midnight, was followed by a parade of provocative content.
One AI image showed him, Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio standing on Greenlandic soil next to a sign that read “GREENLAND — US TERRITORY EST. 2026,” with an American flag planted in the snow. Another depicted European leaders gathered in the Oval Office around a map showing Greenland and Canada emblazoned with the U.S. flag.
These visuals weren’t just eye candy for social media. They were put out amid an ongoing push by Trump to escalate his long-running bid to acquire the territory, rhetoric that has infuriated allies, spurred protests in Denmark and Greenland, and rattled diplomatic circles.
Trump also posted what he said were private text messages from French President Emmanuel Macron and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. In the Macron exchange, the French leader, while saying he’s “totally in line on Syria”, admitted he doesn’t understand Trump’s Greenland fixation. Macron even offered to host a post-Davos G7 meeting to try and hammer out global issues, not to endorse Trump’s Arctic ambitions.
The leaks and AI posts came as Trump prepared to attend the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where his Greenland gambit is already dominating discussions and overshadowing more orthodox global economic talks.
Critics inside and outside the U.S. see the posts as a reckless mix of nationalist bravado and virtual theater. Danish lawmakers and NATO partners have blasted the strategy, warning that Trump’s relentless push against a NATO ally could jeopardize the alliance itself. One Danish lawmaker described Trump’s behavior as “mad and erratic” while demanding congressional scrutiny of the escalating crisis.
Back home, protests have drawn tens of thousands in Copenhagen and Nuuk, expressing outrage at the idea of U.S. control over Greenland and mocking Trump with chants like “Greenland is not for sale.”
Even within his own party, there’s tension. Some Republican lawmakers have distanced themselves from the annexation rhetoric, emphasizing that Greenland’s status as part of a longtime ally shouldn’t be treated as a bargaining chip.
