Trump’s random plan for a hospital ship traced to bricklayer in Greenland

When President Donald Trump announced with an AI-generated image that he planned to send a hospital ship to Greenland, it caused widespread confusion.

While an American submariner had to be rescued by the Danish military after falling ill, there was no indication that any widespread illnesses were present in Greenland.

New reports suggest that Trump was inspired to send a hospital ship after a comment from a MAGA-loving Greenlandic bricklayer.

Jørgen Boassen, 52, is apparently one of a small number of avid Trump supporters on the island, going so far as to help organize Donald Trump Jr.'s visit to Greenland last year. He says he was the one who inspired Governor Jeff Landry — Trump's Greenland envoy — to pitch the hospital ship idea, according to the Wall Street Journal.

He told the paper that he had been staying with Landry at the governor's mansion in Louisiana for Mardi Gras when Landry asked what the U.S. could do for Greenland.

“I told him our healthcare system is deteriorating, and that people are sick. Some people are diagnosed too late,” Boassen said.

He noted that he didn't specifically suggest a hospital ship, but added that "any help is appreciated."

Landry told the paper that he discussed the idea with Trump during a White House dinner on Saturday, which prompted the president to ask whether the island really needed a hospital ship.

The governor said Greenlanders "absolutely need it," which was all it took for Trump to agree to the idea.

"Working with the fantastic Governor of Louisiana, Jeff Landry, we are going to send a great hospital boat to Greenland to take care of the many people who are sick, and not being taken care of there. It’s on the way!!!" Trump said in a Truth Social post.

The Independent has asked the White House for comment.

After Trump's post — featuring an AI-generated illustration of a ship with an American flag — it was unclear if a real ship would materialize. Pentagon officials confirmed to the WSJ that no orders have been given to deploy either of the Navy's hospital ships. Both have been undergoing maintenance in Mobile, Alabama.

The issue of healthcare appears to have been a very personal one for Boassen. His mother died a few years ago from sepsis after she had been misdiagnosed at a rural clinic. She was reportedly treated with painkillers.

Despite whatever problems Greenland's system may have, many of the island's residents said they preferred their system — free, universal healthcare — to the private model in the U.S, according to a Copenhagen Post poll of Greenlanders.

Landry claims otherwise, citing Greenlanders he has reportedly spoken with.

“That’s not what I’m hearing from Greenlanders. They think that universal healthcare sucks over there," he told the WSJ.

In any case, Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen rejected the unsolicited offer of aid from Trump.

"President Trump's idea of sending an American hospital ship here to Greenland has been noted. But we have a public healthcare system where treatment is free for citizens. It is a deliberate choice," the prime minister said in a Facebook post.

He suggested that the Trump administration "talk to us instead of just making more or less random outbursts on social media."

Trump's post was another example of his fixation on Greenland. The president has previously insisted that the U.S. taking control of Greenland is paramount to America's national security. He has also insisted that Denmark and the Greenlanders themselves will be taken over by China if they are not brought under U.S. control.

Greenlanders at large and Danish officials have expressed alarm and displeasure at the president's repeated insinuations that he would do anything it takes to take over Greenland, including using military force.

Trump has since softened his stance on using military force and tariffs to take control of the island. During the Davos World Economic Forum in January, Trump said the U.S. had reached a deal with Greenland, and no further action would be taken to try to wrest control of the island from Denmark.

“It’s a deal that everybody’s very happy with," Trump told reporters. “It’s a long-term deal. It’s the ultimate long-term deal. It puts everybody in a really good position, especially as it pertains to security and to minerals.”

He added that the agreement is a "deal that’s forever."

Shortly after the announcement, Greenland's prime minister said he was not clear on much of what Trump was referring to but said he was open to discussions, so long as they did not involve violating the island's sovereignty.

"I don't know what there is in the agreement, or the deal, about my country," he told reporters in January. "We are ready to discuss a lot of things and we are ready to negotiate a better partnership and so on. But sovereignty is a red line."