Trump's Letter to Norway Should Be the Last Straw • Hacker News Board

Re: Trump's Letter to Norway Should Be the Last Straw

#21

Post by deeg » Mon, Jan 19, 2026, 7:47 PM UTC

phs318u wrote: post #11

mooglevich wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For what it's worth, I don't know a single person that thinks this is a good idea. However, I'm a software developer living in NYC, so the context of my socioeconomic/cultural bubble isn't representative of the average American's. A few folks have already posted good points. This is a classic Trump/asshole negotiation tactic. This distracts from the clamor to release the Epstein files. But what I think is pretty depr…

Thank you for taking the time to write this. I feel for you and understand (though disagree with) the nihilism of your friends. As an outsider, it saddens me to bear witness to the beginning of the sunset of the American epoch. What a bold, noble experiment the USA was!

And to think that we did this to ourselves for a reality TV con man who bankrupts casinos.

Re: Trump's Letter to Norway Should Be the Last Straw

#22

Post by Manheim » Mon, Jan 19, 2026, 7:49 PM UTC

Tarsul wrote: post #6

I've been thinking: Trump won't settle for less than Greenland unless it's the Nobel Peace Price. So... why not give it to him but with caveats? E.g. It will be presented to him in an extraordinary pompous celebration (to tickle his ego) but will remain in Norway until the day of the end of Trump's presidency. He will receive it again on that day, and can keep it!, in another majestic ceremony.

I understand the pragmatism, but wouldn’t that just fuel his desire for more?

Re: Trump's Letter to Norway Should Be the Last Straw

#23

Post by Manheim » Mon, Jan 19, 2026, 7:51 PM UTC

deeg wrote: post #18

Manheim wrote: post #2

As a Norwegian, I am genuinely curious how US citizens are reacting to Trump’s letter To Norway and demands. Setting politics aside for a moment: Is there actual public support in the USA for demanding territory from Denmark? I see polling suggesting that the overwhelming majority of Americans, around 75%, oppose the idea of purchasing or seizing Greenland. It clearly isn't a popular demand among the general public.…

As of right now there is no mention of this on the Fox News web site, so a lot of Americans don't know about it.

That is really strange, in my opinion. Is that beacuse it's not looked at as important by Fox, or is there other reasons?

Re: Trump's Letter to Norway Should Be the Last Straw

#24

Post by kccoder » Mon, Jan 19, 2026, 7:57 PM UTC

Manheim wrote: post #23

deeg wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As of right now there is no mention of this on the Fox News web site, so a lot of Americans don't know about it.

That is really strange, in my opinion. Is that beacuse it's not looked at as important by Fox, or is there other reasons?

Fox News, among others, is a Republican mouthpiece. They rarely report anything that makes Trump look bad.

Re: Trump's Letter to Norway Should Be the Last Straw

#25

Post by kccoder » Mon, Jan 19, 2026, 7:59 PM UTC

There have been so many “should be the last straw” moments, don’t see why this’ll be any different. Our government isn’t going to save us. We’re going to have to save ourselves.

Re: Trump's Letter to Norway Should Be the Last Straw

#26

Post by moktonar » Mon, Jan 19, 2026, 8:09 PM UTC

But isn’t Greenland already in NATO?

Re: Trump's Letter to Norway Should Be the Last Straw

#27

Post by rawgabbit » Mon, Jan 19, 2026, 8:09 PM UTC

Manheim wrote: post #2

As a Norwegian, I am genuinely curious how US citizens are reacting to Trump’s letter To Norway and demands. Setting politics aside for a moment: Is there actual public support in the USA for demanding territory from Denmark? I see polling suggesting that the overwhelming majority of Americans, around 75%, oppose the idea of purchasing or seizing Greenland. It clearly isn't a popular demand among the general public.…

I am a Texan and no, I didn’t vote for who shall not be named.

> Is there actual public support in the USA for demanding territory from Denmark?

I don’t think so. Americans are notoriously ignorant about geography; I doubt many can place Greenland on a map.

> To us in the Nordics, this is baffling.

As far as I am concerned, the same person threatened to execute US Senators for treason for telling US military they should refuse illegal orders. The US military swore an oath to defend the constitution; disobeying illegal orders is what is required in the US military code.

> Why is annexation suddenly considered 'vital' when the current alliance has worked for decades?

It is not vital. I personally believe he is trying to derail NATO and make our allies turn against us.

> Are we just witnessing a train wreck in the making on both sides of the Atlantic, with no option to stop it?

Yes. Congress and the Supreme Court are acquiescing to his driving US foreign policy into the toilet.

Re: Trump's Letter to Norway Should Be the Last Straw

#28

Post by tveita » Mon, Jan 19, 2026, 8:10 PM UTC

gist wrote: post #4

Manheim wrote: post #2

As a Norwegian, I am genuinely curious how US citizens are reacting to Trump’s letter To Norway and demands. Setting politics aside for a moment: Is there actual public support in the USA for demanding territory from Denmark? I see polling suggesting that the overwhelming majority of Americans, around 75%, oppose the idea of purchasing or seizing Greenland. It clearly isn't a popular demand among the general public.…

Have been following Trump since the 1970's. This is a negotiating tactic of his and actually it's a somewhat common negotiating tactic that many people follow when in a negotiation for something they want. Behaviorally anything less than the original demand seems more acceptable. Think of if you were diagnosed with a dreaded disease and then found out you had a lesser disease. The lesser disease by contrast seems les…

It's going to be difficult to explain to anyone looking back on this time how they managed to keep up the pretense that this was a functional adult with his faculties intact.

Here you are imbuing a "master of FUD" angle to a letter that might as well be written with crayons.

Re: Trump's Letter to Norway Should Be the Last Straw

#29

Post by everybodyknows » Mon, Jan 19, 2026, 8:10 PM UTC

deeg wrote: post #18

Manheim wrote: post #2

As a Norwegian, I am genuinely curious how US citizens are reacting to Trump’s letter To Norway and demands. Setting politics aside for a moment: Is there actual public support in the USA for demanding territory from Denmark? I see polling suggesting that the overwhelming majority of Americans, around 75%, oppose the idea of purchasing or seizing Greenland. It clearly isn't a popular demand among the general public.…

As of right now there is no mention of this on the Fox News web site, so a lot of Americans don't know about it.

Had to type into their search box to find it -- published yesterday:

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/why-trump-zeroed-greenland-...

Credulously echoes Trump's claims that rare earth deposits there are of strategic value.

Re: Trump's Letter to Norway Should Be the Last Straw

#30

Post by eudamoniac » Mon, Jan 19, 2026, 8:15 PM UTC

FWIW this was a text message, not a letter. As such I think this qualifies as somewhat fake news. As to the content, it's obviously deranged. I hope this Greenland shit stops soon.