The federal government of Denmark has not traditionally been an enormous spender on Washington lobbying. However days earlier than President Trump took workplace for a second time, Denmark’s embassy began purchasing for a lobbyist with ties to the brand new president, who has loudly proclaimed his intention to attempt to take over the autonomous Danish territory of Greenland.
The Danes should not alone.
Quite a few international locations that might be affected by Mr. Trump’s threatened acquisitions, tariffs, help reductions or deportations have been urgently searching for assistance on Okay Road to navigate his administration.
Panama, which is pushing back towards Mr. Trump’s menace to reclaim the Panama Canal, signed a contract three days earlier than his inauguration that might pay almost $2.5 million over the subsequent yr to a crew of lobbyists together with the distinguished Trump ally David City of BGR Group, based on Justice Division lobbying filings.
BGR Group, a powerhouse agency based by institution Republicans within the Nineties, additionally signed a $600,000 one-year contract in late November with the Embassy of Somalia, which is dealing with the prospect that Mr. Trump’ administration would possibly scale back military cooperation.
And South Korea, which may very well be damage by tariffs, expanded its lobbying corps after the election to deliver aboard the previous Trump marketing campaign adviser Bryan Lanza and his crew at Mercury Public Affairs, based on lobbying filings and an individual aware of the engagement.
The surge in curiosity from overseas governments in lobbyists with connections to the brand new administration underscores the uncertainty with which even longtime U.S. allies regard Mr. Trump. The administration’s brinkmanship with Colombia over tariffs and the deportation of unauthorized immigrants over the weekend confirmed how rapidly any tensions might escalate.
The will for help navigating Mr. Trump’s chaotic strategy to overseas coverage comes as his allies have more and more grow to be fixtures in Washington’s affect business, a shift from when he first took workplace after a marketing campaign through which he pledged to “drain the swamp.” Again in 2017, few established lobbying corporations had ties to his new administration, permitting a wave of newcomers to elbow their way onto K Street, the downtown boulevard that when housed the capital’s high lobbying corporations.
And but the buying spree for lobbyists within the early days of Mr. Trump’s second administration has created a dilemma for affect professionals who wish to keep on his good aspect and keep their entry whereas additionally getting outcomes for his or her shoppers. Representing a rustic that Mr. Trump has focused might danger blowback from a president who has been sensitive to perceptions of disloyalty or the specter of associates profiting from their affiliation with him.
The Danish Embassy was turned away by the agency of Brian Ballard, a high fund-raiser for Mr. Trump, based on two folks aware of the nation’s outreach who spoke on the situation of anonymity to disclose non-public discussions. Mr. Ballard’s agency, which was primarily based in Florida, launched a Washington operation originally of Mr. Trump’s first time period, and it has discovered itself in high demand since election night. The agency declined to remark.
The Danes even have had talks with BGR Group, based on 4 folks with information of the discussions. Considered one of them mentioned BGR Group appeared disinclined to simply accept the engagement.
A spokesman for BGR Group didn’t reply to requests for remark.
In an announcement, the Danish Embassy mentioned it “has not employed a lobbying agency on this concern.” It declined to handle whether or not it was searching for one.
Jesper Moller Sorensen, Denmark’s ambassador to america, additionally declined in an interview to debate the Okay Road outreach, however he mentioned that “Denmark is wanting ahead to having a really constructive relationship with the Trump administration.”
The trouble by Denmark to rent a well-connected Washington hand comes amid intensifying concern in Denmark and Greenland about Mr. Trump’s said intention to take management of the island. He has hinted at the potential for using military force to facilitate the acquisition of Greenland, the strategically essential Arctic island that may be a self-ruling territory of Denmark.
Danish and Greenlandic politicians have categorically rejected the prospect of a sale, typically in confrontational phrases. The standoff is not like something the Danes have skilled of their current relationship with america, considered one of Denmark’s greatest commerce companions and a serious ally.
It’s not clear the final time the Danes retained a standard lobbyist in Washington. The overseas ministry paid U.S. consultants throughout the Biden administration and Mr. Trump’s first time period for public relations help associated to American tourism, based on information filed with the Justice Division beneath the Overseas Brokers Registration Act. Earlier than that, the embassy had final paid for such help in 2016, when it retained the agency Fleishman-Hillard for two months to assist promote a commerce mission.
The kinds of government-to-government interactions upon which the Danes and Greenlanders have relied in Washington don’t appear to be having the specified impact within the present state of affairs.
5 days earlier than Mr. Trump took workplace, he had a contentious 45-minute telephone call with Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen of Denmark. She made varied ideas for extra cooperation on navy and financial points however insisted that Greenland, which already hosts an essential American base, was not on the market.
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Mute Egede of Greenland informed reporters that his authorities was making an attempt to arrange a gathering with Mr. Trump to debate their opposition to the sale.
“You possibly can’t get round the truth that in the event that they wish to discuss Greenland, they’ve to speak to Greenland,” Mr. Egede said.
Rufus Gifford, a serious Democratic fund-raiser who was the U.S. ambassador to Denmark beneath President Barack Obama and stays pleasant with the king of Denmark and different leaders there, mentioned Mr. Trump’s stance has triggered a disaster within the political class.
“They’re shocked, which is rapidly turning into anger,” he mentioned. “The Danish prime minister that loses Greenland to a different nation goes to be a laughingstock for the remainder of time.”
“They do have restricted playing cards,” Mr. Gifford added of the Danes, “however they bought to play those that they’ve, and see what occurs.”
The Panamanian authorities is predicament is difficult, as nicely. The nation has been unsettled by Mr. Trump’s threats to reclaim the canal, which is essential to Panama’s financial system. Consultants view the menace as a doable bargaining tactic to win extra favorable therapy for American ships that use the passageway or to extract further commitments about proscribing the circulation of migrants by means of the nation on their approach towards the U.S. border.
Panama signed a contract this month to pay BGR more than $205,000 a month to signify it in Washington for a yr. As a part of that illustration, BGR agreed to pay $100,000 a month to the agency of Manny Ortiz, a lobbyist with ties to Democrats and in Latin America, according to a contract filed with the Justice Division.
The charges are bigger than these in a contract beneath which Panama agreed to pay BGR $60,000 a month for a couple of yr throughout the Biden administration.
The Trump administration’s dedication to buying the canal was underscored in Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s resolution to go to the nation throughout his first overseas journey, set for later this week.
Elisabeth Bumiller and Jeffrey Gettleman contributed reporting.
