Donald Trump Jr. is in Greenland on a “private visit” after his father suggested the United States buy territory from Denmark

Donald Jr., the son of President-elect Donald Trump, arrived in Greenland on Tuesday on his father’s plane, “Trump Force One,” weeks after his departure. The father again expressed his desire for US control Of the autonomous Danish territories. The visit comes just a day after Mr. Trump referred to residents of the vast region as “MAGA” in a social media post.

“Just here as tourists,” Trump Jr. told reporters as he entered the airport in Nuuk, Greenland’s capital, on Tuesday. “We’ve been talking about going for a while. I was supposed to be here last spring doing some things I do in my free time, but I’m really excited to be here. It’s a great country.”

He was quickly asked about his father, who had expressed a desire to make Greenland part of the United States, but only answered to say that the soon-to-be second-term president was “saying hello.”

“We were talking to him yesterday, so he’s saying hello to everyone in Greenland,” Trump Jr. said.

“Donald Trump Jr.’s visit is a private visit and is respected by the Greenlandic government. Therefore, there will also be no reactions to the visit,” said Miningjuak Kleist, Permanent Secretary of Greenland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. he told CBS News before arriving Tuesday. “Our country is open for visits, and visitors are welcome in our beautiful country.”

Reuters, citing a source familiar with the trip, said that Trump Jr. was planning to film content for a podcast, and that he would only visit for one day.

On Monday, President-elect Trump he said in a social media post That he had “heard that the people of Greenland are ‘MAGA’.” My son Don Jr. and several representatives will travel there to visit some of Greenland’s most amazing areas and sights, and the people will benefit greatly from it if it becomes part of our nation. We will protect and cherish it from the evil outside world. Very much, and make Greenland great again!”

Greenland has a population of approximately 57,000 people and is a fully autonomous region of the Kingdom of Denmark. It has oil, natural gas and mineral resources, but its economy depends on subsidies from Denmark and from fishing.

President-elect Trump had expressed interest in purchasing Greenland during his first term in office, although the idea was quickly dismissed. The Danish authorities rejected him.

Two weeks ago, Trump said on social media that “for the purposes of national security and freedom around the world, the United States of America feels that ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity.”

Greenland’s government has twice rejected Mr. Trump’s assurances of interest in the territory, along with Prime Minister Miot Egedy. Saying just before Christmas That “Greenland is ours. We are not for sale and will never be for sale.”

Last week, Egedi gave a New Year’s speech urging Greenland to remove the “shackles of colonialism” and gain full independence from Denmark.

“It is time for us to take a step and shape our future, also in terms of who we will cooperate closely with and who our business partners will be,” Egedi said.

Aja Chemnitz, a Greenlandic lawmaker in the Danish parliament, said Trump’s interest should be dismissed, Reuters reported.

“I don’t want to be a pawn in Trump’s hot dreams of expanding his empire to include our country,” Chemnitz said.