'We'll bring hygge to Hollywood': Danes jokingly petition to buy California as Trump seeks Greenland

A lighthearted Danish petition is pledging to "bring hygge to Hollywood" by buying the state of California in response to US President Donald Trump's talk about taking control of Greenland, a vast and mineral-rich Arctic island, from Denmark.

"Have you ever looked at a map and thought, 'You know what Denmark needs? More sunshine, palm trees, and roller skates,'" the petition asks.

"Well, we have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make that dream a reality."

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The petition's website claimed over 200,000 signatures by midmorning Wednesday (Wednesday night AEDT).

It's not clear how long the petition has been running and a representative did not immediately return a request for comment.

"It is in the national interest to promote the extraordinary heritage of our Nation, so California will become New Denmark. Los Angeles? More like Løs Ångeles," the petition states.

While Løs Ångeles is a joke, another very Danish city in Southern California is real (as is hygge, the Danish obsession with getting cozy).

Known as "the Danish capital of America," Solvang was founded by three immigrants from Denmark in 1911.

The city is popular with tourists, who come in droves for its aebleskiver pastries, Scandinavian windmills, a main street called "Copenhagen Drive" and, of course, a Hans Christian Andersen Museum to honor the famous Danish fairy tale author. Danish royals have visited several times over the decades.

In 2019, Trump scrapped a trip to Denmark and said the cancellation was because Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen made a "nasty" statement when she rejected his first-term idea of buying Greenland as an absurdity.

Greenland is a semi-autonomous territory of the US ally.

Before taking office again last month, Trump said he would not rule out the use of military force to seize control of the island, calling it vital to US national security, and last month his son visited the island.

Múte B. Egede, Greenland's prime minister, shot back: "Greenland is for the Greenlandic people. We do not want to be Danish, we do not want to be American. We want to be Greenlandic."

The petition organisers have their own plans for Disneyland in Southern California: "We'll rename it Hans Christian Andersenland. Mickey Mouse in a Viking helmet? Yes, please."

The petition notes that Trump isn't a fan of the Golden State. Last year, he called it "Paradise Lost" and he regularly derides Gov. Gavin Newsom with the nickname "Newscum".

But of course, every petition needs some fine print, way down at the bottom: "Disclaimer: This campaign is 100% real … in our dreams."