The Danish government has not historically spent a great deal on lobbying Washington. But just days before President Trump took office for a second term, the Danish embassy began shopping for a lobbyist with ties to the new president, who has announced his intentions to try to take over the autonomous Danish territory of Greenland. has announced loudly.
Denise is not alone.
Several countries hit by Mr. Trump’s threatened acquisitions, tariffs, aid cuts or deportations are urgently seeking help on K Street to navigate his administration.
Panama, which has been pushing back against Mr. Trump’s threat to reclaim the Panama Canal, signed the deal three days before his inauguration that will last for the next year, including Trump’s Eli David Urban of BGR Group. A team of lobbyists can pay about $2.5 million. , according to the Department of Justice Lobbying Filing.
BGR Group, a powerhouse firm founded by establishment Republicans in the 1990s, also signed one. ,000 600,000 one year contract with the Somali embassy in late November, which faces the possibility that Mr. Trump’s administration may Scaleback military cooperation.
And South Korea, which could be hurt by the tariffs, expanded its lobbying corps after the election to bring in former Trump adviser Brian Lanza and his team at Mercury Public Affairs. Lobbying Filings And one person is aware of the engagement.
The surge in interest from foreign governments in lobbyists with ties to the new administration underscores the uncertainty with which longtime U.S. allies view Mr. Trump. The administration’s brinkmanship with Colombia over tariffs and weekend deportations of unauthorized immigrants shows how quickly tensions can escalate.
Mr Trump’s desire to help navigate a tumultuous approach to foreign policy comes as his allies have become increasingly fixtures in Washington’s industry of influence, after he first appeared on the campaign trail. The latter took power in which he promised to “drain the swamp”. Back in 2017, some established lobbying firms forged ties with his new administration, allowing a wave of newcomers to move into K Street, the downtown boulevard that once housed the capital’s top lobbying. Firms were kept.
And yet the shopping spree for lobbyists in the early days of Mr. Trump’s second administration has created a dilemma for influence professionals who want to stay on their good side while also getting results for their clients. And want to maintain your access. Representing the country Mr. Trump has targeted could be a setback for a president who has been sensitive to perceptions of disloyalty or the specter of colleagues benefiting from his association.
The Danish embassy was diverted by the firm of Brian Bullard, a top fund-raiser for Mr. Trump, according to two people familiar with the country’s outreach, who spoke on condition of anonymity to reveal private discussions. were Mr. Bullard’s firm, which was based in Florida, launched a Washington operation at the start of Mr. Trump’s first term, and has found itself in high demand since election night. The firm declined to comment.
Dennis has also been in talks with BGR Group, according to four people with knowledge of the discussions. One of them said that BGR Group seemed reluctant to accept the engagement.
A spokesperson for BGR Group did not respond to requests for comment.
In a statement, the Danish embassy said it “has not hired a lobbying firm on this issue.” He declined to say whether it was looking for anyone.
Denmark’s ambassador to the United States, Jesper Møller Sørensen, also declined in an interview to discuss reaching out to K Street, but said “Denmark looks forward to having a very constructive relationship with the Trump administration.”
Denmark’s effort to hire a well-connected Washington has sparked concern in Denmark and Greenland about Mr Trump’s stated intention to take control of the island. He has hinted at the possibility of using military force to facilitate the purchase of Greenland, a strategically important Arctic island that is a self-governing Danish territory.
Danish and Greenlandic politicians have categorically rejected the possibility of a sale, sometimes in confrontational terms. The standoff is unlike anything the Danes have experienced in their recent relationship with the United States, one of Denmark’s largest trading partners and an important ally.
It is not clear the last time Dennis maintained a traditional lobby in Washington. According to records filed with the Justice Department under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, the State Department paid US consultants during the first term for public relations assistance to the Biden administration and Mr Trump’s US tourism. Previously, the embassy last paid such assistance in 2016, when it retained the firm Fleishman Hillard. For two months Helping to promote trade missions.
The types of government-to-government talks that Denis and Greenlanders in Washington have done do not seem to have the desired effect in the current situation.
Five days before Mr Trump took office, he had a controversial 45-minute telephone call with Danish Prime Minister Matti Fredriksen. He made various proposals for further cooperation on military and economic matters but insisted that Greenland, which already hosts a key US base, was not for sale.
On Tuesday, Greenland’s Prime Minister Khumus Egede told reporters that his government was trying to set up a meeting with Mr. Trump to discuss opposition to the sale.
“You can’t get over the fact that if they want to talk about Greenland, they have to talk to Greenland,” Mr. Egede said.
Rufus Gifford, a major Democratic fund-raiser who was US ambassador to Denmark under President Barack Obama and is friends with the king and other leaders there, said Mr Trump’s stance had created a crisis in the political class.
“They are shocked, which is quickly turning to anger,” he said. “A Danish prime minister who loses Greenland to another country is going to be laughed at for the rest of time.”
“He has limited cards, but he wants to play the games he has, and see what happens,” Mr. Gifford added of Dennis.
Panamanian government is also difficult, it is also difficult. Mr Trump’s threats to reclaim the canal, which is vital to Panama’s economy, have unnerved the country. Experts see the threat as a possible bargaining ploy to win more favorable treatment for U.S. ships that use the passage or limit the flow of migrants through the country on their way to the U.S. border. Makes extra promises about what to do.
Panama signed the BGR payment agreement this month More than 5 205,000 in a month Representing him in Washington for a year. As part of this representation, BGR agreed to pay $100,000 a month to the firm of Minnie Ortiz, a lobbyist with ties to Democrats and Latin America. According to an agreement Filed with the Department of Justice.
The fees are larger than those in an agreement under which Panama agreed to pay the BGR 60,000 a month For about a year during the Biden administration.
The Trump administration’s commitment to the canal was underscored by Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s decision to visit the country later this week during his first foreign trip.
Elizabeth Baumler And Jeffrey Gettleman Contributed to reporting.
