That led to a great many questions, including a practical one: Who, exactly, is Donald Trump going to pay? Reuters shed some light on one possible answer (as part of a report that has not been independently verified by MS NOW):

U.S. officials have discussed sending lump sum payments to Greenlanders as part of a bid to convince them to secede from Denmark and potentially join the United States, according to four sources familiar with the matter.

While the exact dollar figure and logistics of any payment are unclear, U.S. officials, including White House aides, have discussed figures ranging from $10,000 to $100,000 per person, said two of the sources, who requested anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.

Because nothing says “America First” like writing generous checks to tens of thousands of Danish citizens.

As for why the president has made this such a priority, the Republican spoke to The New York Times this week about his need to acquire the island.

“Because that’s what I feel is psychologically needed for success,” Trump said. “I think that ownership gives you a thing that you can’t do, whether you’re talking about a lease or a treaty. Ownership gives you things and elements that you can’t get from just signing a document.”.....

As for our traditional allies abroad, officials are taking the White House’s threats quite seriously. The Associated Press reported that “Denmark and Greenland’s envoys to Washington have begun a vigorous effort to urge U.S. lawmakers as well as key Trump administration officials to step back from President Donald Trump’s call for a takeover of the strategic Arctic island.”

Watch this space.