It is not difficult to envision how the visit of second lady Usha Vance to Greenland could be turned into a spectacle that would allow Donald Trump to put more pressure on Greenlandic and Danish leaders.
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Donald Trump has made no secret of his desire to take control of Greenland “one way or another,” which makes the visit of Vice President JD Vance’s wife, Usha, to the island — ostensibly to learn about its heritage and attend a dogsled race — a dicey affair.
Of course, it’s possible the second lady is a long-time dogsled racing enthusiast and is just using this opportunity to take a taxpayer-funded jaunt to catch this event in person.
We doubt it.
So do Greenlandic leaders who view this trip, and the other members of Usha Vance’s entourage, with suspicion.
While her visit might be dismissed as an effort to engage in a (blatant) “charm offensive,” as Jens-Frederik Nielsen, the leader of Greenland’s most popular party said in an interview, the fact that National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and Energy Secretary Chris Wright are tagging along does not sit well with Greenlanders.
“We are now at a level where it can in no way be characterized as a harmless visit from a politician’s wife,” said Greenland’s Prime Minister Mute B. Egede. “Because what is the national security adviser doing in Greenland? The only purpose is to demonstrate power, and the signal is unmistakable.”
Trump (and JD Vance) have repeatedly talked about making Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark, part of the United States, which is something just about nobody there wants, according to a recent poll (if you apply these figures to Greenland’s entire population, fewer than 4,000 of its citizens want to become part of the US).
Danish leaders also aren’t thrilled by the US’s posturing.
Mette Frederiksen, the country’s prime minister, said the visit “cannot be seen independently of the public statements that have been made,” and that Denmark wants to work with the US, but this cooperation must be “based on the fundamental values of sovereignty and respect between countries and peoples.”
While Greenland’s political leaders, who have said that they were not planning on holding any meetings with the delegation, seem especially troubled by the participation of Waltz and Wright in this trip, perhaps they should be more concerned about the headlines.
Because it is easy to see how an actual, perceived, or manufactured incident or slight involving the second lady could be used to put additional pressure on Greenland or Denmark.
If you think that seems unlikely, just consider that the vice president has admitted that he is not above “creating stories” to push a certain narrative.
That is what may have happened earlier this month when Vance visited Cincinnati and encountered some pro-Ukraine protesters while out on a walk (with his daughter in a stroller and his Secret Service detail in tow).
After speaking to them, he took to social media and characterized the encounter in a way that is not supported (to put it nicely) by a video of it or by common sense — i.e., it seems unlikely that the Secret Service would let their protectee be chased around.
“Today while walking my 3 year old daughter a group of ‘Slava Ukraini’ protesters followed us around and shouted as my daughter grew increasingly anxious and scared,” Vance said.
Today while walking my 3 year old daughter a group of “Slava Ukraini” protesters followed us around and shouted as my daughter grew increasingly anxious and scared.
I decided to speak with the protesters in the hopes that I could trade a few minutes of conversation for them…
— JD Vance (@JDVance) March 8, 2025
The video shows nothing of that sort.
Therefore, it is not outside the realm of possibility that Vance (and Trump) will seize on anything out of the ordinary to talk about “security concerns” for Americans in Greenland, which would then allow them to put more boots on the ground (the US maintains a military base on the island) and ratchet up pressure on Greenlandic and Danish leaders.
We are not saying that’s going to happen (or that it would be intentional), but any “incident” involving the second lady or any US official in Greenland this week should be viewed with great caution.
In his Navigating the Insanity columns, Klaus Marre provides the kind of hard-hitting, thought-provoking, and often humorous analysis you won’t find anywhere else.
