‘I promise not to do this’: Trump jokes about building hotel in Greenland

The president photo-shopped a picture of his Las Vegas hotel standing tall over a Greenland village.

US president Donald Trump has posted a light-hearted tweet likely to further inflame sensitivities over his comments about buying Greenland, photo-shopping a picture of his glitzy Las Vegas hotel towering over a small town in the territory.

Mr Trump on Sunday confirmed the idea of buying the semi-autonomous Danish territory had been discussed within his administration because of the strategic benefits to the US, which has for decades operated the Thule air force base in Greenland.

After Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen dismissed the idea as “absurd”, Mr Trump stirred the issue further on Monday night by engaging in some digital mischief, tweeting above the superimposed photo of his Trump International Hotel: “I promise not to do this to Greenland!”

Mr Trump told reporters on Sunday the idea of buying Greenland from Denmark was “just something we’ve talked about”.

“Denmark essentially owns it. We’re very good allies with Denmark,” he said. “We’ve protected Denmark like we protect large portions of the world, so the concept came up.”

Ms Frederiksen, visiting Greenland to meet premier Kim Kielsen, reiterated that Greenland was not for sale.

“Greenland is not Danish. Greenland is Greenlandic,” she said. “I persistently hope that this is not something that is seriously meant.”

Reaction to Mr Trump’s joke was swift and mixed, with some Twitter users applauding the president’s humour and others decrying his insensitivity.

While one tweet saying it was “so refreshing to have a leader with a real sense of humor!” was typical of those supporting the president, from the opposite camp came messages such as: “Trump, please crawl back under a rock. You are a national embarrassment every day.”

One man clearly on the president’s side was his son Eric, who wrote on Instagram: “I don’t know about you guys but I love the concept of buying Greenland.”

NEW YORK (AP) — Former president Donald Trump met privately with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis over the weekend, according to three people familiar with the discussion, marking a detente between the former rivals after a brutal primary contest marked by insults and bruised egos.

The meeting, which lasted three hours, was organized to help the men bury the hatchet and discuss potential joint fundraising efforts, according to one of the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity to share details of the private get-together. The governor, during the conversation, committed to helping Trump as he faces President Joe Biden in the general election, the person said.

The meeting, which was first reported by The Washington Post, was orchestrated by Florida real estate investor Steve Witkoff, who knows both men.

Witkoff did not immediately respond to a request for comment through his office.

DeSantis has a deep network of donors from his runs for governor and president. Though he endorsed Trump when he dropped his bid for the GOP nomination in a video after failing to gain traction, he has yet to campaign or fundraise on Trump's behalf.

The GOP primary was marked by a bitter rivalry between the two men, who had once been allies. Trump lambasted DeSantis as disloyal and nicknamed him Ron “DeSanctimonious," while DeSantis suggested Trump would lose again in November.

Associated Press writer Tom Beaumont contributed to this report from Des Moines.

FILE - This combination of photos shows Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaking on July 17, 2023, in Arlington, Va., left, and former President Donald Trump speaking in Bedminster, N.J., June 13, 2023. Trump met privately with DeSantis over the weekend, according to two people familiar with the discussion, marking a detente between the former rivals after a brutal primary contest marked by insults and bruised egos. (AP Photo, File)