Trump Treating the Homeless in Greenland? Helping Them?
By Stephen Wilson, one of our reporters abroad
Trump Junior had just been in Nuuk, Greenland, and there were a very high number of people wearing MAGA hats and cheering him on. At least that’s what we saw happening…
A bemused hotel chief executive of a hotel named Jorgen Bay Kastrap explains, “He met them in the streets and invited them for lunch or his staff did. But I don't think they knew who they were inviting. That was of course, a little bit strange to us because we saw guests that we had never seen in our hotel before—and will probably never see again because it's out of their economic means. The guests were thrilled. ‘Hey, somebody invited us for lunch, let's go and join them!’ they cheered.”
Kastrap revealed in the media this truth about Trump Junio inviting all these homeless persons. In other words, the people invited to dine in the hotel were not Trump supporters but homeless people taking up the offer of a free meal.
Trump treating the homeless to a free meal? Have the Trump family changed their views of the homeless? Have they seen the light? Not if a spokesperson's public statement for Trump's reaction is accepted. Arthur Schwaltz, a friend of Trump Junior, mocked any claims that he would have gone out on to streets to persuade the homeless to come and have a free meal as a public relations stunt to persuade Greenland to become part of America. It was pure nonsense. A case of 'fake news'! Schwaltz stated, “Do you think Donald Trump Junior was wandering around Greenland inviting homeless people to lunch, or do you realize that the suggestion sounds so beyond the pale ridiculous that you should feel stupid asking the question?'
But the homeless couldn't believe their luck! The guests of around 15 ate a traditional Greenlandic lunch including fish and Caribou. This was not all. Trump junior supporters were handing out free hundred dollar bills.
It is a sad indictment that the Trump team would find public revelations of how they helped the homeless to a free meal 'embarrassing' and 'a scandal'. One might have thought treating the homeless to a free meal was not something to be ashamed of, but the normal and natural thing of any person to do. Such an event might even have boosted Trump's image in Greenland. It may have humanized Trump. But for the record, Trump is very hostile and contemptuous of the homeless. He completely disdains them.
Over the past few weeks Trump has been publicly threatening to military or economically invade Greenland. He has also made threats about Canada as well as the Panama Canal. Members of his team have even been sent to Greenland to publicly woo the local people by treating them to free meals or handing out free gifts.
However, the response of Greenlanders has not been enthusiastic. They don't mind improved trading and economic agreements, but they don't want to relinquish their autonomy to yet another country.
In fact, there is a movement for full independence from Denmark!
Trump has boasted that he can purchase Greenland as if it were a piece of real estate. But most Greenlanders find this comparison insulting. The prospect of Greenland becoming part of America is not something local people relish. They would lose free medical care and a generous welfare system which is part of the inherited legacy of belonging to Denmark.
A proverb states, “The grass is always greener on the other side.” This was what the earlier settlers were persuaded to believe in the late 10th century when Eric the Red, the founder of Greenland, persuaded people to come and farm on this land. He claimed the land was so fertile that it was a paradise. A revisionist view of the Vikings is that they were not as warlike as earlier historians claimed but largely refugees forced to leave their country against an authoritarian monarchy who did not respect their freedom. In William Shakespeare's play Hamlet, the main hero states that “Denmark is a prison.” So many Danes left Demark to look for a greener land. Although the Vikings reached America they preferred to stick it out in Greenland and Iceland. They traditionally did a lot of fishing and where possible, farming and trading.
At present, most people in Greenland make a living from fishing, service industries, mining and tourism. Nuuk, the capital of Greenland has a small population of almost 20,000. Unfortunately, the level of homelessness in Greenland has increased over the last 30 years. Much of this is due to a combination of factors such as rapid urbanization where the prices of housing have risen as well as rent and a decline in accessible housing. Professor Steven Arnfjord, who does research on these problems, stated that “Research shows that because of high rent and house prices that many young adults leave 'care' and are at a high risk of ending up homeless.” Arnfjord points out the peculiar paradox of this. While older children are viewed as victims of circumstances, young adults leaving the same care system become stigmatized as undeserving and responsible for their own predicament. The homeless are perceived as the 'undeserving poor'. Victims of domestic violence, the old, orphans, and homeless animals would count as among 'the deserving poor'. In contrast to other causes, the problem of homelessness has not been prioritized by the state in Greenland. Professor Arnfjord states, “Our studies indicate that approximately 250- 300 people are in need of safe permanent accommodation in Nuuk, a city of 18,000.” Arnfjord made this statement in 2020. {See Prof Arnfjord's report “Greenland' s Emerging Social Conscience and Voluntary Food Delivery to People Experiencing Homelessness in Nuuk,” Qualitative Social Work Journal, volume 20, issue 1-2, https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1473325020973209}. The problem has undoubtedly worsened since 2020.
If anything, the Covid-19 crisis exposed how more vulnerable the homeless were to the threat of this virus as well as tuberculosis. Without access to proper sanitation, water for hand washing and space for social distancing, the homeless can be easy prey to deadly infections. For instance both tuberculosis and Covid thrive in densely packed night shelters for the homeless {Tsai and Wilson, March 11, 2020, “COVID-19: A Potential Public Health Problem for Homeless Populations,” Lancet Public Health, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7104053/}.
The good news is that there is more awareness of the problem of homelessness in Greenland. More and more people are volunteering to help the homeless. Charities such as the Greenlandic Red Cross, the Salvation Army and some restaurants have been providing free meals to the homeless. A social conscience is developing more and more throughout Greenland. People are becoming less judgmental and acknowledging something has to be done to genuinely get to grips with the homeless problem.
But whether Greenlanders had in mind Trump's recent gesture to treat 15 homeless to a free meal is questionable. Anyway, some of the homeless are reported to have been thrilled to receive the invitation and even found the meal quite tasty.
It is unclear, however, if they would be thrilled to suddenly by citizens of the United States—a country which seems incapable of helping its own homeless residents.