‘California will become New Denmark’: Danes target Golden State in petition

A lighthearted Danish petition to buy the state of California and “bring hygge to Hollywood” comes in response to President Donald Trump’s talk about taking control of Greenland, a vast and mineral-rich Arctic island, from Denmark.

“Have you ever looked at a map and thought, ‘You know what Denmark needs? More sunshine, palm trees, and roller skates,’” the petition asks. “Well, we have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make that dream a reality.”

The petition’s website claimed over 200,000 signatures by midmorning Wednesday, with a goal of 500,000 signers, as well as “$1 trillion (give or take a few billion). That’s just 200,000 kroner from every Dane.” It’s not clear how long the petition has been running and a representative did not immediately return a request for comment.

“It is in the national interest to promote the extraordinary heritage of our Nation, so California will become New Denmark. Los Angeles? More like Løs Ångeles,” the petition states.

While Løs Ångeles is a joke, another very Danish city in Southern California is real. Known as “the Danish capital of America,” Solvang was founded by three immigrants from Denmark in 1911.

The city is popular with tourists, who come in droves for its aebleskiver pastries, Scandinavian windmills, a main street called “Copenhagen Drive” and, of course, a Hans Christian Andersen Museum to honor the famous Danish fairy tale author. Danish royals have visited several times over the decades.

But in 2019, Trump scrapped a trip to Denmark and said the cancellation was because Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen made a “nasty” statement when she rejected his first-term idea of buying Greenland as an absurdity. Greenland is a semi-autonomous territory of the U.S. ally.

Trump, now in his second term, is doubling down. Before taking office last month, Trump said he would not rule out the use of military force to seize control of the island, calling it vital to U.S. national security.

Frederiksen and Múte B. Egede, Greenland’s prime minister, are pushing back again.

“Greenland is for the Greenlandic people. We do not want to be Danish, we do not want to be American. We want to be Greenlandic,” Egede said at a news conference alongside last month Frederiksen in Copenhagen.

The president’s oldest son, Donald Trump Jr., visited Greenland last month and told citizens: “We’re going to treat you well.”

So Denmarkification decided to channel Trump’s previous career as a real estate developer. The petition organizers already have big plans for Disneyland in Southern California.

“We’ll rename it Hans Christian Andersenland. Mickey Mouse in a Viking helmet? Yes, please,” the petition states.

Of course, every petition needs some fine print, way down at the bottom:

“Disclaimer: This campaign is 100% real … in our dreams.”