President Donald Trump‘s pick for ambassador to Denmark has advocated for turning Greenland into a libertarian “freedom city,” according to Reuters.
Ken Howery, a PayPal co-founder and friend of Elon Musk, is an advocate for cities that serve as low-regulation tech hubs and believes this could apply to the autonomous territory in the Kingdom of Denmark, despite Greenland and Denmark both rejecting U.S. advances regarding the island.
Newsweek has contacted Howery via email for comment.
Demonstrators showing how they feel about the U.S. proposal to take over Greenland at a protest in front of the U.S. Embassy in Copenhagen on March 29, 2025.
Demonstrators showing how they feel about the U.S. proposal to take over Greenland at a protest in front of the U.S. Embassy in Copenhagen on March 29, 2025.
Nils Meilvang/Ritzau Scanpix via AP
Why It Matters
The Trump administration has insisted that Greenland should become part of the U.S., even as Greenlandic and Danish politicians repeatedly say that the island is not for sale.
Sources close to Howery, who served as ambassador to Sweden during the first Trump administration, did not elaborate on how his vision of a “freedom city” would transpire on an island with people who reject hypothetical U.S. rule.
I am deeply humbled and honored by @realDonaldTrump’s announcement that he will nominate me to serve as the next U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Denmark.
Representing our great nation abroad is a profound responsibility. I know first-hand the power of diplomacy to advance… pic.twitter.com/BXg56zo6fw
— Ken Howery (@KenHowery) December 22, 2024
What To Know
“Freedom cities” are an idea that cities should operate with no federal regulations, which proponents believe would boost growth.
Detractors say they would actually operate as “mini dictatorships” where all residents work under the whims of their boss. Without federal regulations, there are no unions, no mandated rest hours and no safety requirements for workers.
Three sources close to Howery who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity said he could see the island operating as a hub for AI, driverless cars, space exploration, miniature nuclear reactors and high-speed rail.
The idea of freedom cities has received support from other tech billionaires Peter Thiel and Marc Andreesen. Thiel has supported Vice President JD Vance’s political career since he ran for Senate in Ohio.
When visiting Greenland last month in a pared-back visit following local uproar, Vance said the chance of Greenland joining the U.S. is “an incredible opportunity.”
Trump has refused to rule out taking Greenland by military force, saying “nothing is off the table” when asked about it by NBC in late March.
Demonstrators hold Greenland flags as they protest in front of the U.S. Embassy in Copenhagen on March 29, 2025.
Demonstrators hold Greenland flags as they protest in front of the U.S. Embassy in Copenhagen on March 29, 2025.
Nils Meilvang/Ritzau Scanpix via AP
Greenland’s new prime minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, has said that “we must clearly and calmly show the American president that Greenland is ours. It was like that yesterday. That’s how it is today. And that’s how it will be in the future.”
Danish Prime Minister Mette Fredriksen said that the Americans “know very well that Greenland is not for sale.”
The mineral-rich island has been working on developing independence from Denmark. Greenlandic people, who are largely indigenous to the island, want to rule their own country, not become another territory.
People protest in front of the U.S. Embassy in Copenhagen on March 29, 2025.
People protest in front of the U.S. Embassy in Copenhagen on March 29, 2025.
Nils Meilvang/Ritzau Scanpix via AP
What People Are Saying
Donald Trump, discussing Freedom Cities: “These Freedom Cities will reopen the frontier, reignite American imagination, and give hundreds of thousands of young people and other people—all hard-working families—a new shot at home ownership, and in fact, the American dream.”
Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen: “We must listen when others talk about us. But we must not be shaken. President Trump says the United States is ‘getting Greenland.’
“Let me make this clear: The U.S. is not getting that. We don’t belong to anyone else. We decide our own future. We must not act out of fear. We must respond with peace, dignity and unity.
“And it is through these values that we must clearly, clearly and calmly show the American president that Greenland is ours. It was like that yesterday. That’s how it is today. And that’s how it will be in the future.”
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, on social media: “President Trump’s interest in Greenland is not going away… They know very well that Greenland is not for sale. They know very well that Greenland doesn’t want to be part of the United States. It has been communicated unambiguously to them both directly and in public.”
What Happens Next
Trump has said that the U.S. will “100 percent” take over Greenland. The idea is supported by 26 percent of voters, according to respondents to a Fox News poll in late March.