Got this link in an email and couldn’t resist tracing the operatives. But the trail was already mapped—someone beat me to the punch. Read: Twitter thread

Denmark Summons U.S. Envoy Over a Reported ‘Influence Operation’ in Greenland

Another American businessman, Tom Dans, who was an adviser to Mr. Trump on Arctic affairs in his first term, recently founded a small nonprofit organization to promote closer U.S. ties with Greenland. Last fall Mr. Dans sponsored Jorgen Boassen, a former bricklayer from Greenland who has become an advocate for a tight alliance with the United States, to participate in Trump campaign events. Mr. Boassen has gone on to become one of Mr. Trump’s most enthusiastic supporters on the island, though he is reviled as a traitor by many Greenlanders.

In an interview in February, Mr. Dans said that he had no role in the Trump administration but that he continues to “consult with them” along with others. He also joked that he and Mr. Trump share a “Vulcan mind meld.”

Drew Horn is another member of Mr. Trump’s circle who has been involved in Greenland. A former adviser to Mr. Trump and other Republican officials, Mr. Horn is now heading the rare earths company GreenMet. 

Earlier this year, he led a delegation of American investors to Greenland. The purpose, according to the company, was to “advance projects in the energy, infrastructure, and technology sectors, in coordination with efforts at the White House and in Congress to secure critical supply chains.”

Mr. Horn said he does not work for President Trump anymore, but in an interview in April he said that he was “looking to support the president and the administration’s goals.”

Related:

Trump Allies Target Greenland’s Rare Earths to Counter China’s Grip

Trump’s man in Greenland is on a mission to establish American control (archived)

As part of his efforts to build local connections, Dans has sought out allies on the ground in Greenland, including Jørgen Boassen, a Greenlandic bricklayer and Trump supporter. According to DR, Dans has covered Boassen’s travel costs and promised him a salary to help establish contacts locally. Last month, Dans travelled with Boassen and Greenlandic politician Kuno Fencker (Siumut) to Washington, to meet with Trump officials and supporters. Fencker was heavily criticized by his party leadership for unilaterally deciding on the visit and thereby going around the Greenlandic prime minister, Muté B. Egede. The trip is an example of Dans’ active efforts to engage with Greenlanders and promote his vision for closer U.S.-Greenland ties.

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Before Trump’s election win, Dans worked at the Heritage Foundation, where his twin brother Paul Dans was one of the main authors of the controversial Project 2025 policy agenda.

Obscure U.S. group ‘American Daybreak’ central to controversial Greenland visit (archived)

Behind the scenes of this contentious trip is American Daybreak, a virtually unknown U.S. organization founded by Trump-aligned investor and former government official Thomas Emanuel Dans. Dans confirmed American Daybreak’s role in planning the trip, stating publicly that the group had invited the Second Lady and other senior administration officials earlier this month. In a statement shared on X (formerly Twitter) he claimed that the reaction to the visit has damaged US-Greenlandic relations.

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Dans, a venture capitalist, previously served as a Commissioner on the U.S. Arctic Research Commission during the first Trump administration, advising the federal government on Arctic policy and helping shape Washington’s engagement in the region. Since leaving public office, he has continued to focus on Greenland through American Daybreak, worked on icebreaker construction and served as a visiting fellow at the Heritage Foundation where according to his LinkedIn he has “focused on developing and recommending conservative approaches for Ukraine’s postwar reconstruction.”

Ukraine and Greenland are next: If you think the collapse of the Soviet Union was good for the people, think again.

Greenland document