As Trump eyes Greenland, envoy Jeff Landry signals unconventional outreach to locals

Even as President Donald Trump says he will act on Greenland regardless of whether its residents approve, the US special envoy he recently appointed appears to be taking a different tack.

Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry, named to the role in December, has made clear he has little interest in engaging with diplomats. The Republican has yet to travel to the Arctic island but plans to attend a dogsled race there in March. He has remarked that Greenlanders would likely feel at ease in Louisiana, noting that he has heard they enjoy hunting, fishing and “having a good time.”

As Trump issues threats about taking control of Greenland — a semiautonomous territory of Nato member Denmark — Landry has brought his strong Cajun accent and confrontational political style into the U.S. push to acquire the world’s largest island. His involvement has raised his national visibility and highlighted his close relationship with the president, while also unsettling some of Washington’s allies within the military bloc.

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Landry’s initial moves have drawn attention in Denmark as well. On Sunday, the Danish ambassador to the United States responded after Landry wrote on X that the U.S. had defended Greenland during World War II when Denmark was unable to do so.

“His style matches the political climate and aligns closely with this president’s objectives,” said Mary-Patricia Wray, a Louisiana-based political consultant who has previously worked with Landry.

The appointment marks a significant test for the first-term governor, who rose through Louisiana politics as an outspoken conservative but lacks substantial foreign policy or diplomatic experience beyond trade-related travel. Backers argue that Landry’s personal appeal and deal-making skills could advance Trump’s goals. However, the precise scope of his responsibilities as envoy and how actively he has begun outreach, remains uncertain as Trump renews his claim that US control of Greenland is necessary for American security.

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Landry declined to be interviewed, and his office did not answer questions regarding his actions so far in the envoy role. The White House, meanwhile, said his experience as a state governor makes him a valuable addition.

“He understands that Greenland is essential to our national security, vital to deterring our adversaries, and that Greenlanders would be better served by U.S. protection in the region,” White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said.

Others are less impressed.

“You don’t negotiate the future of a country on social media,” said Peter Bisgaard, a former Danish consular officer in New Orleans. “That’s asinine.”

Greenland’s party leaders have firmly rejected U.S. overtures and Danish officials warn that an American takeover of Greenland would end the NATO alliance that has served as the backbone of European security since World War II.

The White House has not ruled out military action in pursuit of Greenland.

Landry, in an interview on the “Brian Kilmeade Show” on Fox News Radio this month, said he wants to provide Greenland’s roughly 56,000 residents opportunities to “improve the quality of life” in exchange for expanded U.S. military presence and rare-earth mineral mining access. Drawing on Louisiana’s famed cuisine, Landry described his approach to forge ties as “culinary diplomacy.”

During eight years as Louisiana’s attorney general, Landry was known for airing out disagreements on social media and for a combative style, defending the state’s abortion ban and rollbacks of LGBTQ rights. Since voters elected him governor in 2024, Landry has pushed Louisiana further right and animated critics who accuse him of limiting transparency and ramming through legislation with little public feedback.

Landry’s mentor Fred Mills, a retired Louisiana lawmaker, said they briefly discussed the governor’s envoy role.

“If you bring them some crawfish and you start talking Cajun to them, I don’t think they’ll give you the country, but they’re going to like you,” Mills recalled telling Landry. “I can see it elevating his worth on the national level, but I’m struggling to know what’s going to be success.”

Shortly after Trump announced his first presidential campaign in 2015, Landry interviewed him while guest-hosting a local radio show. Their ties have only grown closer.

Trump endorsed Landry’s run for governor and Landry has said he was on the president’s short list for attorney general. Landry said he did not want the job but has demonstrated an eagerness to implement Trump’s agenda on a Louisiana-sized scale.

He invited the National Guard to Louisiana to address crime, welcomed a Border Patrol deployment and expanded immigration detention facilities. Last year, Landry stood alongside Trump at the White House as South Korean carmaker Hyundai’s announced plans to open its first U.S. steel mill in Louisiana.

Retired Louisiana lawmaker Craig Romero said Landry, who once worked for him as an aide, has long understood the value of cultivating ties to those with power, even while serving in the Louisiana National Guard.

“He said ‘Everybody wants to be my friend in the Guard because I drive the general around’,” Romero recalled.

In response to public information requests for records surrounding Landry’s early work as envoy, his office said that “any work done by the Governor regarding this project is voluntary and not state business.”

In the interview with Fox News, Landry said he planned to attend a dogsledding event on the island in March after receiving an invite from “a Greenlander.” He did not say which event, but the possibility of Landry making an appearance rattled organizers of Greenland’s national dogsledding championship.

Mikkel Jeremiassen, chairman of the Greenland Dogsledding Association, said in a statement this week that Landry’s attendance would be “wholly inappropriate.”

With inputs from agencies