Donald Trump has directly linked his failure to win the Nobel Peace Prize to his renewed and aggressive ambition to seize control of Greenland, according to extraordinary text messages revealed this week.
The Nobel Snub and a Territorial Ambition
In a disclosed exchange with Norway's Prime Minister, Jonas Gahr Støre, the US President stated that not receiving the prestigious award meant he no longer felt "an obligation to think purely of peace". This revelation comes amidst a concerted push by Trump to acquire the vast, self-governing Arctic territory from Denmark. He has recently asserted the US would take control "one way or the other" and declared over the weekend: "Now it is time, and it will be done!!!"
Trump blamed Norway for his Nobel disappointment, claiming on Monday, 19 January, that the country "totally controls it despite what they say". The prize is, in fact, awarded by an independent committee appointed by Norway's parliament. In his texts, he argued Denmark could not protect Greenland from Russia or China, questioned its historical claim to ownership, and demanded that NATO, which he claims to have supported more than anyone, should now help the US achieve "complete and total control of Greenland" for global security.
European Industry and Public Push Back
The response from European leaders and industry has been swift and critical. Bertram Kawlath, president of the German engineering association VDMA, labelled Trump's demands as "ludicrous" and urged the EU to stand firm, warning that capitulation would only invite further threats of tariffs.
Meanwhile, a potent symbol of public defiance has emerged in Copenhagen and beyond: a parody of Trump's iconic red 'Make America Great Again' cap. The spoof version, embroidered with the slogans 'Now it's NUUK!' and 'Make America Go Away', has soared in popularity. It has been featured at public protests, including a weekend demonstration held in freezing conditions in the Danish capital, becoming a rallying point against the proposed annexation.
Wider Fallout from a Controversial Administration
The Greenland controversy unfolded alongside other significant developments involving the Trump administration on 19 January:
- ICE Controversy: South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem faced criticism after first denying, then blaming protesters for, the use of chemical agents by federal immigration officers in Minneapolis.
- Detention Death: A second man, Victor Manuel Diaz, 36, died in two weeks at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility in El Paso, Texas.
- Epstein Files Delay: The Department of Justice missed a congressional deadline to release investigative files on Jeffrey Epstein, raising questions about transparency.
- Gaza 'Board of Peace': The Kremlin confirmed Vladimir Putin had been invited to join a Trump-proposed board intended to oversee a Gaza ceasefire, with Russia seeking clarification.
The day also saw cultural figures voice strong opposition. Bruce Springsteen decried "Gestapo tactics" by immigration officials at a concert, while actor Stellan Skarsgård criticised Trump's Greenland plans, calling him "a little man who got megalomania".
The convergence of a personal grievance over the Nobel Prize with a bold territorial claim has significantly heightened transatlantic tensions, uniting European political and industrial leaders with a growing public movement of symbolic protest.
