An inside look at President Trump's campaign to acquire Greenland
6/17/202645 min
New Yorker writer Ben Taub tells Dave Davies that while the idea of acquiring Greenland is out of the headlines, it hasn’t been dropped by Trump. Taub describes how his ongoing efforts have broken the trust of our allies. "People are just completely exhausted and worn down. ... That trust cannot be rebuilt," Taub says.
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Dave Davies· Host0:17
This is Fresh Air. I'm Dave Davies. At a White House news conference in April, as President Donald Trump was discussing his displeasure at our European allies over the war in Iran, he said this about his problem with the NATO allies.
Donald Trump· Soundbite0:33
You know, it all began with, if you want to know the truth, Greenland. We want Greenland. They don't want to give it to us, and I said, "Bye-bye."
Dave Davies· Host0:41
That's President Donald Trump in April. Trump's campaign to acquire the territory of Greenland from Denmark through purchase, threat, negotiation, or even military action is one of the stranger episodes of his presidency. And while Trump hasn't spoken publicly about the issue in a while, our guest, New Yorker staff writer Ben Taub, says it hasn't gone away. In a new article, he writes that there are ongoing influence operation at Trump's direction to keep the possibility alive. Taub's reporting traces Trump's Greenland project from its inception in 2018 to the present day, a campaign that's yielded some comical moments as Americans sought to woo allies and wield influence in the territory with just 57,000 people. Taub also reveals