I have an encyclopedic memory for random celebrity and royal gossip, but I’ve made a conscious choice in the Trump era to “forget” many stories about this orange administration. I do this as self-care, because I don’t want to cry all day or scream into a pillow all night. So, I came into this story feeling a sense of “that sounds familiar” but I couldn’t really remember the story. Turns out, in 2019, Donald Trump made some statements about how he wants to buy Greenland from Denmark. It was idiotic, and this was part of a larger story about why Trump cancelled a trip to Denmark because they refused to sell him Greenland. It turns out that the conversations within the executive office were even worse than we originally believed:
President Trump once asked aides if he could sell Puerto Rico and buy Greenland instead, according to former Department of Homeland Security official Miles Taylor, who told MSNBC on Wednesday that he heard the remarks directly in Aug. 2018, when officials were regularly going to Puerto Rico to coordinate hurricane recovery efforts.
“One time before we went down he told us, not only did he want to purchase Greenland, he actually said he wanted to see if we could sell Puerto Rico, could we swap Puerto Rico for Greenland, because, in his words, Puerto Rico was dirty and the people were poor,” Taylor said, adding that he found the suggestion “beyond galling.”
The comments confirm a 2019 New York Times report on Trump’s outlandish suggestion. Taylor said he didn’t take the suggestion as a joke because Trump often expressed “deep animus” towards Puerto Rico. Since leaving DHS, Taylor has become a vocal Trump critic. He endorsed Joe Biden on Monday and appeared in a Republican Voters Against Trump video. White House spokesperson Judd Deere called him “another creature of the D.C. Swamp” on Wednesday.
Yeah, it wasn’t a joke. Dude wanted to “sell” the island with all of the brown people and buy the island with some white people. That is the depth of Trump’s racism, ignorance and contempt for Puerto Ricans, WHO ARE AMERICANS. Puerto Rico needs statehood (same as DC). Trump really wants to “run” America like a Trump property.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
The majority of Greenlanders are indigenous. Trump maybe doesn’t understand that there are brown people in Europe as well?
I dont even think he is aware of the number of brown/black people in the continental US. Coz he’s a friggin’ boob
Yes That’s true but he never said that he wants to buy it due to lack of brown people. That was just a random guess. So maybe he knew about the demographics and wanted to buy it for another reason not number of white and brown people? Surely he’s aware that the population is extremely low regardless of colour and thought that he could get « a deal » And then Americans would become the majority like in Alaska. I’m Canadian and American, it would be interesting if Canada was basically surrounded By the USA on each corner. Canada would not love it. If you’re looking out for the US’ interests, this was actually a good idea. He’s terrible but it doesn’t mean everything he suggests is categorically horrid and the opposite of what he says is always the truth. (Most of my comment is not Directly to the person I replied to)
I am gravely concerned that a half-American is residing in my country and espousing these views, which essentially excuse and defend his behaviour. It is a clear and established fact that he is a racist based on his past tweets, comments, campaign speeches, white house addresses and his xenophobic immigration policies. Pretending there are other strategic reasons for his behaviour is laughable at best. Please move back to the states and work for the white house if you can spin his intentions so well. Heck Kelly Anne might be willing to share the spotlight.
Wow just…wow With you on this @ConcernedCanadian This is the kind of ignorance we’re dealing with.
This country is no longer looking at taking over other countries for ‘strategic’ purposes. We’re not buying, not colonizing, etc., any more. Geez. Trump wanted the mineral rights, not for the US, but for himself, his family, and his cronies. Putin probably supported it and/or put the idea in his head.
Haha, right, sure it’s got nothing to do with race. Just like how Trump’s tendency to attack men and women of colour on Twitter has nothing to do with race, either.
Please relocate to the US and quit taking up space here in Canada.
I concur with all of the other comments here. That kind of thinking and making excuses for him is not welcome in Canada. It plainly obvious why we wanted to do this and it’s based on his raging racism. As for him being aware of the population size or make up – that I doubt very much. He doesn’t even remember basic facts or how many countries there are in the world so I can almost guarantee that this is just another part of his racist, bigoted way of thinking. He’s not looking out for America’s interests, never has and never will.
Extremely disappointing that you are in Canada with that mindset, not exactly the citizens we want or need here. And yes, what Nina sad. Please return yourself to the USA forthwith.
I think Lavande has a point. Acquiring Greenland likely doesn’t have anything to do with race but other benefits. Trump probably doesn’t even know that people live there. As an American, I can’t tell you how ignorant many of us are even about our own country, and we finally elected one of us dummies to be President. But when it comes to Puerto Rico, that is sheer, disgusting racism on his part.
I thought he wanted to buy Greenland to get glaciers.
I’m sad that I am not surprised.
Even if we do manage to get this monster out of office, I will forever be scarred with the knowledge that people in this country voted for him and defend him and even worship him to this day.
I’m right there with you, Snuffles. It’s unfathomable.
Yep. This has been an eye-opening four years and not just because of Trump. His supporters have shown us who they are and it’s ugly. So ugly.
Agreed Snuffles. I grossly underestimated the number of intentionally stupid racist in this country.
Snuffles – truer words I’ve never been said! I will never be the same and I do not for one minute think our country will ever be the same. I wish I was more optimistic and could really believe that goodness resides in the hearts of most people. Sadly I no longer can.
Scarred is exactly the right word. I agree that I will never look at people the same and have lost so much faith in humanity.
Sadly, I have stopped contact with some family and friends since I have zero tolerance for Drumpf & co. supporters. I simply can’t get past how corroded they must be at their very core to support what these people represent.
Same here. But at the same time, we needed to know.
But her emails.
We coulda had a bad bitch.
Sometimes I wonder what’s going on in the timeline where Hillary Clinton actually became President. She would still be nitpicked on every single breath she took (how dare she breathe so much!), but would be anywhere near this rabbit hole we tumbled down?
I get wanting Greenland. With global warming, the receding glaciers are revealing rich mineral sources.
I don’t get even THINKING about dumping Puerto Rico. That island (and the current shambles the rest of the country and economy is in) needs help and Trump doesn’t “help” anyone but himself and his own. Puerto Rico is a treasure, its residents are AMERICANS and huge contributors of my quality of life in NYC. He wastes people. He ruins areas. He is evil bc he is so selfish and lacks any empathy or compassion. I hate this guy so much.
I understand why buying Greenland would be a good idea. Besides the minerals I think it’s a strategically important location. Thus, why would Denmark want to sell it? It’s silly i guess but not close to being one of his top disasters.
Do you remember him going post hurricane and throwing paper towel at people? I can’t even look at him.
Unfortunately, I’ve found that certain areas in the US have really terrible bias against Puerto Ricans. (I am not lumping everyone in, it’s just been my observation.) I lived in NYC for a year and the bias against Dominicans and Puerto Ricans was incredible. After that I was transferred to the Miami office where it wasn’t even a bias, it was a straight up disdain from a lot of people against Puerto Ricans. I had a coworker ask me where I was from after hearing me speak Spanish. When I said that I was part Mexican, his recommendation to me was to make sure that everyone knew that I’m not Puerto Rican. He was Cuban, by the way, so this bias isn’t only a white people thing. It’s a brown people vs. other brown people thing as well.
I’m sure some of Trump’s hatred of Puerto Rico probably stems from that as he likes to spend his time in NYC and South Florida.
I lived in Miami for the last 20 years and had friends that were Cuban, Puerto Rican, Honduran, Haitian, etc…and I was always confused about the disdain by many Cubans towards lots of other Latinos (I’m Brasilian btw). I was, and continue to be incredibly baffled by the loyalty of the majority of Cubans to Trump (in Miami anyway) – there isn’t a single Cuban in his cabinet, and the ones he knows personally he has treated with disgust and disdain…I don’t get it at all. I know so many that suffered under Castro…Trump looks like a duck, walks like a duck, quacks like a duck…where is the disconnect? And he’s cuddling up to communist leaders? I don’t get it. He would only want them to clean his golf clubs (off the books of course and for less than minimum wage). I also understand that it’s not all Cubans, but it’s most of my friends.
I wasn’t going to say Cubans specifically, but in Miami there does seem to be a hierarchy where Cubans are at the top. I found it especially true when working there. There is a long standing stereotype that Cubans are the smartest and most educated of the hispanic groups, and some people in Miami strongly believe it. Even Target got in trouble for pushing these stereotypes a few years ago. A direct quote from a Target internal memo:d. Mexicans (lower education level, some may be undocumented);e. Cubans (Political refugees, legal status, higher education level).
As to why hispanics vote for Trump, it really beats me. I think it is similar to poor people or women or any other group that he openly hates voting for him and actively voting against their own interests. Maybe it’s an act of defiance? Maybe they think of him as the American dream, bootstraps and all except not at all?
It definitely has to do with geography, because here in California — Cuba and Puerto Rico don’t get any “hate” — it’s all directed towards Mexicans and Central Americans (Guatamala, Hondurus, El Salvador etc.). Sigh.
Yeah I’ve know Mexicans that consider themselves better than Puerto Ricans.
We Mexicans think (generalization) that white a few Southamericans feel they are better than us. Quite a few Venezuelans (from before the dictators), Colombians, etc. though much highly of themselves, I knew about from quite a few doctors I knew in big hospitals who had to spend time as hospital residents.
Of course we all knew a bit about Cubans, and how the first who left were the rich layers, the educated ones that managed to emigrate timely, with some of their money even, and since they were entrepreneurs and richer, they made i big in the US, the next waves were poorer people, until some Cubans that have managed to escape via Mexico and have done whatever they could to get to the US, those Cubans had an organized net to move people around, I learnt about it from one of my doctor friends.
One of my Medical doctor acquaintances visited Cuba and fell in love with a handsome guy, she married him and sponsored him to come to Mexico and get a job and make it together. It turned out that he was in contact with shady characters, including a santero who was moving his strings to get people to the US, and they were waiting to make their move. It turned out that the handsome guy was saving all his money and 2 years later, he left her without a word faking a business trip, it was all planned and orchestrated. HE had been taking out his stuff little by little and continued his trip to the US, where there is the larges community.
I visited Cuba once, but kind of like health tourists, and I got to know some families, how people live there, that there are nice, honest people, and how they long to get a better life, but that was very cruel. My friend’s friend suffered was a nice woman, so much and looked for him for a long time, even calling and gifting his Cuban family, until the santero came clean.
We also have many people wanting to emigrate, many of my family lives up there, most are citizens by now, while our side of the family have never wanted to go up her, unless is to visit places and family.
@Flamingo: I’m Danish, my husband and his family as well as my father have lived in Greenland for decades. I’ve visited several times and my oldest daughter was baptized there. Denmark doesn’t want to “sell” Greenland because it’s not Denmark’s to sell. Greenland is no longer a colony and the 60.000 inuit (indigenous people) living there have autonomy with an independent government etc. Most Greenlandic people just shrugged and laughed at the absurd proposal, some were deeply offended and a few thought it would be great to finally cut the ties to old colonizer Denmark and become part of the US. Greenland is administratively and economkcaæly tied to Denmark, but is not geographically considered part of Europe. It’s in the Northern Atlantic. Greenland is, however, part of the EU as one of the overseas countries and territories (like Guadalupe is although it’s an island in the Caribbean). Anyway, it may not be the first time that the US shows interest in Greenland (Thule airbase is US), but to do it on twitter and then cancelling a state visit on twitter too is just utterly bonkers. The cancelled visit cost Denmark a lot of money since everything (security etc) was in place. No one really knew what happened, he just didn’t show up.
As a Puerto Rican, who was born there and who’s parents live there, Fuck this Orange Turd. Thankfully, I live in NYC and I can vote this MotherF%cker out. He is a complete disgrace and I can’t wait to see him and his entire family in prison for their traitorous crimes against humanity. It surprises me how many Latin people support this man. This is why I boycotted GOYA too.
Eso mismo. Que se vaya para el caraj0.
like WTF. The buying Greenland thing was bad enough (I can see why he would want Greenland, but Denmark isn’t selling it.) And cancelling the trip! it was so embarrassing.
But selling Puerto rico? This man. November cant come soon enough.
Above all he is a businessman.
Who bankrupts everything he touches.
That shock of white hair next to his tangerine skin is hilarious!
@ JennyJenny, I think he is using more and more spray tan or bronzer each day. And when you see a close up pictures of him, depending on your pixels, you can see where they wipe it out of his wrinkles and around his eyes. It’s disgusting, plus his ears are white as snow. As for Greenland, the fact that he thought that Denmark would gladly sell him their land and his utter response by refusing to visit Denmark afterwards, clearly exposes a man with little ego and thin skin. Drumpf acts as if everyone and every country should bow down to his advances of actions. I love to picture him at one of the summits with Angela Merkel staring him down with her glare of power!
Last night I read about the 75 or so Republican (often serving under other Republican Presidents) foreign policy workers/advisors who have come forward to back Biden. Some of their accounts of his utter foolishness and truly dangerous ideas were chilling.
Greenland is rich in minerals. Because of global warming/melting there is an interest in mining. Trump wanted a piece of it. And also he’s racist.
Yikes! The photo. 🙂 Bulbous body, thick pancake make-up, the zoned out look on his face. Drug abuse and unhealthy lifestyle finally catching up.
Are his feet as tiny as his hands or does it only appear that way because of the huge diaper pants?
God he’s disgusting
He is really really stupid. If he gets another 4 years I really don’t know if I can take it. I think Canada may be overwhelmed with refugees from the US.
Ummm no……we’re keeping ours borders closed thanks to the US total mis management of COVID-19.
Did you hear they’re putting up a wall along the border in Abbotsford? Very disappointing and I can only assume it’s to keep Americans from escaping because no one I know has any interest in visiting the USA for a long time.
That’s not how any of this works. You can’t just decide to sell a territory full of American citizens. Plus they are deeply in debt so even if you could sell it no one would want to buy it.
Puertorrican here. Born and raised. Is a fact that Puerto Rico economy is a total shitshow. But a lot of it has to do because US has us under so many restrictions that don’t allow the Island to develop. A lot of it has to do with the political status of the Island, and the relation we have with the US. And of course, a lot have to do with the political corruption.
Now I live in US. And I will for sure vote against this orange turd!
I hate to think of the suffering of Puerto Riquenos. I hope Biden makes some major changes for Puerto Rico!
It’s dangerous to think Trump’s remarks are merely loony. For example, his showerheads/water pressure complaints refer directly to his desire to see EPA water conservation regulations built into appliances destroyed. As for Greenland? It’s been an epicenter for artic gas and oil development plans, starting twenty years ago. Russia has a presence there, and Trump undoubtedly wants to partner with Putin on this to keep the fossil fuel industry alive.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/aug/21/trump-wanting-to-buy-greenland-is-yet-another-sign-of-putins-puppetry
It’s interesting how all our “territories” — this includes American Samoa, the Virgin Islands, and Guam as well, by the way, they always get forgotten or left out — are colonized islands of BIPOC, where we deny them full citizenship rights (voting most prominently), deny the moral and human right of Indigenous peoples to political self determination (Some prefer independence or free association to statehood), and exploit their land and resources. Guam for example, a tiny island, has TWO military bases which take up around a third of its land mass, with the resultant pollution and destruction of ancestral sites. I lived there for seven years. It was an incredible situation. There are a LOT of other possible relationships between countries that don’t involve colonial Victorian-era exploitation and degradation. But no. We have to be assholes.
This above info (regarding racism and cultural strife between the different Latinxes) from all of your comments is sad. I have a hunch that this is all because of colorism from within and the fact that Take-A-💩 hates with a passion people from African backgrounds. [There are racial subgroups in PR such as African, Chinese, French, etc.] Also, since many Puerto Ricans and African Americans, specifically in NYC, have close ties and relationships, regardless of the language barrier, Drumpf has no doubt noticed this while he was residing in NYC. He and his sperm-donor father hated this factor to the greater degree that these 2 ethnic groups were denied affordable housing from their buildings and were attacked media-wise within the past decades (i.e. Central Park Jogger Case, accusations of Latinxes being gangs and part of the M13s, etc.). This hateful-ass needs to damn go! 🤬
Drumpf really thinks that he is some kind of King who can decide these things on a whim.
The US is not an extension of his stupid business, but he sure as hell thinks it is.
Puerto Ricans want to be emancipated. Im sure they’d rejoice at being decolonized.
Preach it sister! I know the calls for statehood come from a good place but most Puerto Ricans I know just want to be free. We are an occupied nation.
Trump’s racism and stupidity know no bounds.