Trump and Greenland: How a Billionaire Influenced the Deal
One day during his first term, Donald Trump summoned a top aide to discuss a new idea. “Trump called me down to the Oval Office,” John Bolton, national security adviser in 2018, told the Guardian. “He said a prominent businessman had just suggested the US buy Greenland.”
It was an extraordinary proposal. And it originated from a longtime freind of the president who would go on to acquire business interests in the Danish territory.
The businessman, Bolton learned, was Ronald Lauder. heir to a makeup fortune – the global cosmetics brand Estée Lauder – he had known Trump, a fellow wealthy New yorker, for more than 60 years.
Bolton said he discussed the Greenland proposition with Lauder. After the billionaire’s intervention, a White House team began to explore ways to increase US sway in the vast Arctic territory controlled by Denmark.
trump’s renewed pursuit of Lauder’s idea during his second term is typical of how the president operates, Bolton said. “Bits of facts that he hears from friends, he takes them as truth and you can’t shake his opinion.”
The proposal seems to have stirred Trump’s imperialist ambitions: eight years on, he is mulling not just buying Greenland but
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‘A treasure trove of rare-earth elements’
Trump’s fixation with Greenland endured, as did Lauder’s. Last February, shortly after Trump returned to the White House, Lauder leapt to his defense when the president publicly contemplated a military takeover of the world’s largest island.
Ronald Lauder’s potential influence on US policy raises concerns regarding conflicts of interest during Trump’s second term and the enrichment of those connected to the president.Trump’s sons, Don Jr and Eric, have engaged in international business ventures, spanning from Vietnam to Gibraltar.
They maintain a separation between their business dealings and their father’s presidential role. A Trump spokesperson stated that neither the president nor his family have engaged in,or will engage in,conflicts of interest. However, foreign leaders have seemingly facilitated the financial gain of the first family while potentially securing presidential favor.
Lauder had previously indicated he would not support Trump’s 2024 presidential run.