FACT CHECK: Claim That Denmark Purportedly Offered To Buy The US Is Satire

A set of images shared on Threads claims Denmark has purportedly offered to buy the U.S.

Verdict: False

The claim is false and originally stems from a 2019 satire article published by The New Yorker.

Fact Check:

Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen has boosted defense spending for Greenland following comments from President-Elect Donald Trump about purchasing the island, according to BBC News. The at least $1.5 billion in funding will allow for increased staffing at Arctic Command as well as the purchase of more defense supplies, including two new long-range drones, the outlet reported.

The Threads images claim Denmark has purportedly offered to buy the U.S.

“After rebuffing Donald J. Trump’s hypothetical proposal to purchase Greenland, the government of Denmark has announced that it would be interested in buying the United States instead,” reads the first image.

“‘As we have stated, Greenland is not for sale,’ a spokesperson for the Danish government said on Friday. ‘We have noted, however, that during the Trump regime pretty much everything in the United States, including its government, has most definitely been for sale,’” reads the second image.

“‘Denmark would be interested in purchasing the United States in its entirety, with the exception of the government,’ the spokesperson added,” reads the third image.

The claim is false and originally stems from a 2019 satire article published by The New Yorker. All three quotes included in the Threads post are taken from the article verbatim.

Likewise, Check Your Fact did not find the claim referenced on the website of Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen’s Office or on her verified social media accounts. In addition, neither President Joe Biden nor Trump appears to have publicly commented on the claim. (RELATED: Video Showing Trump’s Name Being Taken Off Hotel In Panama Is From 2018)

Furthermore, Check Your Fact did not find any credible news reports to support the claim. Actually, the opposite is true. On Dec. 26, Newsweek debunked the claim, indicating it had originally stemmed from the New Yorker’s satirical article.

The claim may have recently circulated online following comments from Trump regarding the “ownership and control” of Greenland, which is part of Denmark, according to Reuters. Greenland’s Prime Minister Mute Egede responded to Trump’s comments, saying the island is “not for sale.” Trump previously proposed buying Greenland in 2019, but Denmark rejected the proposal, the outlet reported.

Check Your Fact has contacted Frederiksen’s office for comment.