Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick doesn’t want to talk about Greenland as President Donald Trump’s comments about the Danish territory confuse global markets.
When panel moderator Adam Tooze, an economic historian, tried to steer the conversation back to the topic looming in Davos, Lutnick said, “No, that’s not necessary.”
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick doesn’t want to talk about Greenland as President Donald Trump’s comments about the Danish territory confuse global markets.
When panel moderator Adam Tooze, an economic historian, tried to steer the conversation back to the topic looming in Davos, Lutnick said, “No, that’s not necessary.”
“I think the United States and the Western Hemisphere are extremely important to the United States. I’ll leave that to the national security officials.”
Top British and Canadian business leaders who joined Lutnick on the panel did not specifically criticize Trump’s repeated suggestions that the United States might try to occupy Greenland, but they did intersperse with remarks that the White House should not forget its allies.
“What I want Mr Howard and others in his administration to think about is how our allies can help us achieve our goals,” said Rachel Reeves, Britain’s finance minister.
In a subsequent public question and answer session, Lutnick was asked how the United States would respond if President Trump followed through on his threat to impose tariffs on European countries for not supporting his views on Greenland and Europe imposed retaliatory tariffs.
Lutnick said if Europe responded with its own tariffs, the conflict would eventually end with a meeting between European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and President Trump, as in the past.
“If it makes a fuss, so be it,” Lutnick said. “But we know how it ends.”
