Photo: Getty
This is how you say no to Donald Trump.
By Rebecca Jane Stokes — Written on Aug 23, 2019
When Donald Trump became President many people girded themselves for all of the ridiculous things that he would say and do. Some people hoped for the best, but even these poor souls were deeply disappointed when Donnie took office and decided it was time to open his mouth, say whatever he liked and apologize for nothing. Now he's really taking things to another level by starting a beef with Mette Frederiksen. Who is Mette Frederiksen? She's the Prime Minister of Denmark, and she's the one who slapped down Donnie's dream of (inexplicably) buying Greenland.
1. Donnie Takes Greenland
In the span of just a handful of days, President Donald Trump has once again somehow managed to shock the world. Prior to sharing a retweet proclaiming him the King of Israel, Trump bandied about the idea of buying Greenland. When Meet Frederiksen, the Danish Prime Minister, shot down the idea, Trump could have backed away slowly and graciously. Oh wait, no he couldn't: he's Donald Trump. Instead, he decided to publicly address her refusal from the White House South Lawn, describing the country's leader as "nasty" and "not very nice."
2. Trump's Butt-Hurt
Continuing his tour of being butt-hurt that he can't just like, buy random countries, Trump said: "All she had to do was say no. She's not talking to me. She's talking to the United States of America." In addition to making it clear that he, much like Louis the 14th, IS the state, Trump also spoke a bit more about his plan to buy the semi-autonomous Danish territory of Greenland and started to backpedal a bit. "It was just an idea. Just a thought," Trump said to reporters who were gathered. When reports leaked last week that Trump was interested in buying Greenland, he would only comment with: "We're looking at it."
3. The Cancelled Visit
Because the Prime Minister of Denmark shot down his requests to even consider buying Greenland, Trump's travel plans have changed drastically. On September 2 he was supposed to visit Denmark during a trip to Europe, but, taking to Twitter like every D list celebrity, Trump wrote that he would be postponing their meeting. The reason he gave? The fact that Mette and the country of Denmark as a whole have no interest in discussing his ridiculous Greenland bid. "Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen’s comments, that she would have no interest in discussing the purchase of Greenland," Trump tweeted, are why he would not be visiting the country.
4. Mette Speaks Up
Naturally, Mette Frederiksen herself has handled this like a sane person. When she had a press conference on Wednesday it was natural that she fielded questions about Trump's requests to buy Greenland and about the fact that he was dissing the entire country because she had decided to say no to him, behavior only permissible by toddlers and even then, not for long. Frederickson said that she was "disappointed and surprised" when she learned that Trump had decided to cancel his visit to meet with her and see the country. But she went on to say that selling Greenland was an idea that "has clearly been rejected," but she hopes to work with the U.S. on other important issues.
5. Mette's Political Chops
Mette Frederiksen is no slouch when it comes to politics, though I have to imagine that even for the most seasoned politician, reacting to the inane antics of Donald Trump is a constant study in learning to think on your feet. Mette has been the Prime Minister of Denmark since just June of 2019 (talk about coming in hot), but she's actually led the country's party of Social Democrats since back in June of 2015. In addition to being only the second woman to take either role, Mette is also the youngest Prime Minister in the entire history of the country of Denmark.
6. Mette's Scandal Back Home
While Mette might be a young and well-respected politician in her home country, that doesn't mean that she has led a professional career that was free of any sort of scandal. In 2010 she was dragged through the headlines when it was revealed that she sent her daughter to private school (as did loads of other pretty well-respected Social Democrats). This was a huge deal because for a very long time, promoting public education was a central policy that she promoted. Sending her own kid to a private school while preaching about the importance of public school wasn't a good look. She wisely explained that putting her politics in front of what was best for her kid would ALSO make her a hypocrite.
Rebecca Jane Stokes is a writer living in Brooklyn, New York with her cats, Batman and Margot. She's an experienced generalist with a passion for lifestyle, geek news, pop culture, and true crime.