Exclusive: Greenland Business Declines Vance Visit Over ‘MAGA Event’ Fears

The manager of a travel agency in Greenland told Newsweek that he declined a visit from U.S. second lady Usha Vance over fears it would be “a MAGA event.”

“We are known for our hospitality, and we welcome visitors from other countries as our valued guests,” Henrik Skydsbjerg, the manager of Tupilak Travel, said in an email.

“With this delegation however we were afraid that it would turn out to be a MAGA event [which] we did not want to be part of.”

Vice President JD Vance is now accompanying his wife on the trip. The itinerary has changed so they will only visit the Pituffik Space Base on Greenland’s northwest coast. Earlier plans for the trip had included Usha Vance visiting Greenland’s capital Nuuk, historic sites and attending the Avannaata Qimussersu dogsled race in Sisimiut.

Newsweek contacted a spokesperson for Vance for comment via social media on Thursday outside of normal office hours.

Why It Matters

U.S. President Donald Trump has said his attempts to annex Greenland, a self-governing territory of Denmark, is needed “for international, for world security.” In a message to Greelanders earlier this month, Trump said he supports Greenlanders’ right to determine their own future but U.S. control would happen “one way or the other.”

An overwhelming majority of Greenlanders do not support Trump’s plan. In a poll, conducted between January 22 and January 26 for Danish newspaper Berlingske and Greenlandic paper Sermitsiaqt, 85 percent of respondents said they did not support joining the U.S. Protests took place outside the U.S. consulate in Nuuk on March 15.

Usha Vance’s planned trip to Greenland drew concern from the governments of Greenland and Denmark, and the change in itinerary has been welcomed by officials.

What To Know

Tupilak Travel said in a post on Facebook that the U.S. Consulate had reached out on Monday to ask if Usha Vance could visit their store on Friday.

The company’s post on Tuesday said they had initially said that she would be welcome to visit, but later changed their mind because of concerns about the “underlying agenda” of the visit. It ended with a phrase meaning “Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders.”

Newsweek has contacted the U.S. Consulate for comment via email.

Later on Tuesday, Vance announced that he would be joining his wife on the trip. In a video posted on X, formerly Twitter, he framed the trip around security and said that Trump wants to “reinvigorate the security of the people of Greenland because we think it’s important to protecting the security of the entire world.”

The White House said in a statement that Vance and his wife would travel to the Pituffik Space Base to receive a briefing on Arctic security issues and meet with U.S. service members.

Skydsbjerg told Newsweek that the change in itinerary came as a “great relief” to most Greenlanders.

What People are Saying

Henrik Skydsbjerg, the manager of Tupilak Travel, told Newsweek: “The decision for the American delegation not to visit Nuuk and Sisimiut, but only the Pituffik Space Base was a great relief to almost all people here in Greenland. We are known for our hospitality, and we welcome visitors from other countries as our valued guests. With this delegation however we were afraid that it would turn out to be a MAGA event [which] we did not want to be part of.”

Skydsbjerg also noted that United Airlines would be offering direct flights from New York to Nuuk from this summer, adding: “We are looking forward to welcoming many American visitors [to] show our great culture, society, and nature.”

Vice President JD Vance said in a video posted on X on Tuesday: “There was so much excitement around Usha’s visit to Greenland this Friday that I decided that I didn’t want her to have all that fun by herself, and so I’m going to join her.”

He added: “Speaking for President Trump, we want to reinvigorate the security of the people of Greenland because we think it’s important to protecting the security of the entire world. Unfortunately, leaders in both America and in Denmark, I think, ignored Greenland for far too long. That’s been bad for Greenland. It’s also been bad for the security of the entire world. We think we can take things in a different direction so I’m gonna go check it out.”

The Greenland government said in a statement on Tuesday: “The acting Naalakkersuisut notes that the previously announced U.S. delegation visit to Nuuk and Sisimiut has been cancelled by the U.S. government. U.S. Vice President JD Vance and wife, Usha Vance, are planning to visit Pituffik Space Base on Friday, March 28, 2025.”

President Donald Trump said in an interview with podcaster Vince Coglianese on Wednesday: “We need Greenland for international safety and security. We need it. We have to have it.”

Asked if people there are eager to join the U.S., Trump said he didn’t know “but I think we have to do it, and we have to convince them.”

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen wrote on Facebook on Wednesday: “President Trump’s interest in Greenland is not going away. This is evident from what he has said publicly several times, most recently again today.”

She added: “They know very well that Greenland is not for sale. They know very well that Greenland doesn’t want to be part of the United States. It has been communicated unambiguously to them both directly and in public.”

Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen told public broadcaster DR on Wednesday: “I think it’s very positive that the Americans cancelled their visit to the Greenlandic society. Instead, they will visit their own base, Pituffik, and we have nothing against that.”

What’s Next

The vice president and second lady will visit the Pituffik Space Base on Friday.