Wednesday 12 / February / 2025
California: A petition calling for Denmark to buy the most populous US state had gathered more than 200,000 signatures on Wednesday, promising to "Make California Great Again."
The spoof web campaign comes amid renewed interest from Donald Trump in buying Greenland — or even taking the vast Arctic island by force.
What does the petition call for?
The jokey web campaign posits the vision of a California ruled from Copenhagen, with all the advantages of a Nordic welfare state — plus the glorious sunshine of the Golden State.
"Have you ever looked at a map and thought, 'You know what Denmark needs? More sunshine, palm trees, and roller skates.' Well, we have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make that dream a reality," it says.
"Let's buy California from Donald Trump! Yes, you heard that right. California could be ours."
The website lists the possibilities that such an acquisition might bring, including the renaming of Disneyland as "Hans Christian Andersenland."
It envisages "Avocado Toast Forever," with almost 90% of US-grown avocados coming from California.
The petition's authors also envision an expanded frontier for the Danish concept of coziness (hygge) and environmentally-friendly Scandinavian buttered rye bread.
"We'll bring hygge to Hollywood, bike lanes to Beverly Hills, and organic smørrebrød to every street corner."
Could it prove successful?
No. But, while the petition is a clear parody — "100% real... in our dreams" — it cites reasons that property mogul Trump might agree to sell the state.
Trump last year called California "Paradise Lost" and he regularly insults its Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom with the nickname "Newscum."
"Let's be honest – Trump isn't exactly California's biggest fan," the website says. "He's called it 'the most ruined state in the Union' and has feuded with its leaders for years. We're pretty sure he'd be willing to part with it for the right price."
It sets a mock crowdfunding goal of "$1 trillion (give or take a few billion)."
"And hey, we'll even throw in a lifetime supply of Danish pastries to sweeten the deal."
Not entirely a fairy tale
While the notion of a Danish California might seem far-fetched, it does have some semblance in reality.
The city of Solvang in southern California's Santa Barbara county was founded by three immigrants from Denmark in 1911. It is known as "the Danish capital of America."
Popular with tourists who flock there for its pastries, Solvang — meaning "Sunny Field" — boasts Danish windmills, a Hans Christian Andersen Museum and a main street called Copenhagen Drive.
