A Danish activist group known as Denmarkification is causing a stir with its tongue-in-cheek proposal to purchase the state of California from the United States for $1 trillion. The idea emerged in response to former President Donald Trump’s own suggestion of acquiring Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory.
Organizers point to warm weather, palm trees, and a desire for “more sunshine and roller skates” as core reasons for their quest to bring California into the Danish realm—an initiative that has garnered over 198,000 signatories so far, with the group aiming to surpass 200,000.
Danes from various backgrounds took umbrage at Trump’s remarks and decided to playfully mirror his proposal by launching their own “Let’s Buy California” campaign. Xavier Dutoit, who spearheads Denmarkification, suggests a crowdfunding drive could raise $1 trillion if every Danish citizen donated about 200,000 kroner (roughly $18,000).
Organizers also said that their “Tremendous Plan” would also include the dispatch of Denmark’s “bestest negotiators,” including executives from Lego and cast members from the Danish political drama Borgen. They also plan to rename California as “New Denmark,” with Los Angeles humorously recast as “Løs Ångeles.”
Denmarkification’s website outlines whimsical rewards for those willing to chip in. Modest donors of 10 DKK might receive a personalized greeting (or at least a postcard) from the Danish royal family. At the higher end, a pledge of 1,000,000 DKK could theoretically secure a private Malibu beach—albeit with undisclosed “terms and conditions.”
Although presented in a jocular spirit, the campaign’s website insists that such an outlandish real estate purchase is precisely what Denmark needs if it wishes to “protect the free world,” secure reliable access to avocados, and bask in 300 days of sunshine a year.
Supporters highlight the attractions of California’s booming tech industry, its agricultural riches, and the opportunity to rename The Walt Disney Company theme park “Hans Christian Andersenland.”
In describing the sale’s benefits, the group points to an indefinite supply of avocado toast—since California produces about 90% of all US avocados—and the notion of “colossal freedom” within a region often at odds with Trump’s policies. The Danish climate, by comparison, is portrayed as a perpetual exercise in rain boots, making sun-soaked California the perfect place to plant a Danish flag.
A key plank in the Denmarkification argument is Trump’s longstanding friction with California. The organization maintains that the president “isn’t exactly California’s biggest fan,” having repeatedly criticized its leadership, whether over environmental regulations or immigration policies. The campaign humorously claims that Trump could be enticed to part with the Golden State for the “right price,” especially if sweetened with a lifetime supply of Danish pastries.
In a nod to its own lighthearted approach, Denmarkification provides fictional endorsements from well-known figures—some with real Danish roots, others simply famous. Viggo Mortensen, best known as Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings, is quoted as embracing the project to spread a bit of “Middle-earth magic.”
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