Trump “annexed” Greenland, Canada, and Venezuela to the US at a private dinner
2 February 06:17
White House chief Donald Trump gave a speech at an elite Alfalfa Club dinner in Washington, where he joked about the “new United States” — Canada, Venezuela, and Grenada.
This was reported by "Komersant Ukrainian" with reference to The Washington Post.
The publication writes that Trump, surrounded by politicians, businessmen, and representatives of the elite, made a series of ambiguous jokes that attracted the attention of both allies and critics.
For example, Trump jokingly said that he plans to “buy” Greenland and make it the 52nd state of the United States.
“We are not going to invade Greenland. We are going to buy it,” he said.
“I never intended to make Greenland the 51st state. I want to make Canada the 51st state. Greenland will be the 52nd state. Venezuela could be the 53rd,” the US president joked.
The joke got a mixed reaction from the crowd—some people laughed, but overall there was silence and pauses, which shows how tricky it is for an influential audience to take in statements like this.
This is not the first time Trump has used exaggerated statements on territorial issues: he has repeatedly expressed interest in Greenland and joked about Canada’s status, although he has not taken any serious steps in this direction.
In addition, the head of the White House made a series of his traditional jokes about political opponents and commented on his intention to sue the newly appointed chairman of the Federal Reserve, adding that this was also said in jest.
The event took place against the backdrop of a tense political atmosphere in the US: over the past week, the Trump administration has faced criticism over the arrest of a journalist, the publication of millions of documents related to the Jeffrey Epstein case, and other pressing socio-political issues.
Recall that on February 1, Trump said that a framework agreement on the purchase of Greenland by the United States was allegedly almost agreed upon. However, earlier, Greenland’s Minister of Economy Naaya Nathanielsen effectively refuted the White House’s statements about the agreement, saying that it did not exist and that dialogue needed to be initiated first.
