Danish Government Sets Up ‘Night Watch’ to Monitor Trump

Sergi Reboredo/VWPics via AP Images & Andrea Renault/STAR MAX/IPx

Officials within the Danish government have set up a special “night watch” within its foreign ministry purely dedicated to monitoring President Donald Trump outside of working hours.

The alert system is operated by a team who work in shifts starting at 5 p.m., the Politiken newspaper first reported. A report detailing any mention by Trump of the word “Greenland” is circulated around the Danish government and relevant departments at 7 a.m. the next morning.

The watch was put in place seemingly in response to Trump’s previous comments surrounding Greenland, an autonomous nation within the Kingdom of Denmark. The president has stated on multiple occasions his desire to acquire the territory, refusing to rule out using military force even as government officials within Greenland and Denmark have strongly opposed any such acquisition.

A source close to the foreign office told the Guardian that the creation of the watch was a direct result of Trump’s rhetoric on the issue.

“It is fair to say that the situation in Greenland and the time difference between Denmark and the United States was quite an important factor introducing this arrangement during the spring,” said the source.

A poll published by Danish outlet Berlingske and Greenland outlet Sermitsiaq in Janurary (via CBS) showed that 85 percent of Greenland residents said they did not want to become part of the United States. Just 6 percent were in favor of joining the U.S., while another 9 percent were undecided.

The numbers strongly contradict Trump’s statements on the matter.

“The people of Greenland would love to become a state of the United States of America,” the president said during a news conference in January. “We were greeted with tremendous love and affection and respect. The people would like to be a part of the United States.”

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth echoed Trump’s statements on the subject, when he refused to deny that the Pentagon had plans to take Greenland by force during a House Armed Services Committee hearing in June. Skirting a question from Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH), Hegseth told the committee that “the Pentagon has plans for any number of contingencies.”

Senior officials from the U.S., Denmark, and Greenland are expected to meet in the Greenlandic capital of Nuuk to discuss future cooperation in December – the first formal meeting between the nations since Trump’s comments about Greenland.