Obscure U.S. group ‘American Daybreak’ central to controversial Greenland visit

By Elías Thorsson March 26, 2025
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American Daybreak founder Thomas Emanuel Dans is behind the much criticized U.S. delegation’s unofficial visit to Greenland. (American Daybreak Instagram, screenshot)

A planned visit by U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance to Greenland later this week has drawn sharp criticism from concerned Greenlandic and Danish officials. While the visit was originally scheduled to coincide with the Avannaata Qimussersua dogsled race in Sisimiut, the itinerary has since changed with the delegation now only visiting the Pituffik Space Base, the U.S. military installation in northern Greenland.

Behind the scenes of this contentious trip is American Daybreak, a virtually unknown U.S. organization founded by Trump-aligned investor and former government official Thomas Emanuel Dans. Dans confirmed American Daybreak’s role in planning the trip, stating publicly that the group had invited the Second Lady and other senior administration officials earlier this month. In a statement shared on X (formerly Twitter) he claimed that the reaction to the visit has damaged US-Greenlandic relations.

“American Daybreak has worked on strengthening U.S.-Greenlandic ties for a long time, including helping to organize the visit of the President’s son to Greenland in January,” Dans wrote. “These press stories and Greenlandic officials’ overreaction are harmful to the strong relationship, based on mutual respect, shared interest, and courtesy, that the United States has long enjoyed with Greenland and hopes to expand upon.”

    Jørgen Boassen with Thomas Emanuel Dans. (American Daybreak Instagram, screenshot)

    Who is Thomas Dans?

    Dans, a venture capitalist, previously served as a Commissioner on the U.S. Arctic Research Commission during the first Trump administration, advising the federal government on Arctic policy and helping shape Washington’s engagement in the region. Since leaving public office, he has continued to focus on Greenland through American Daybreak, worked on icebreaker construction and served as a visiting fellow at the Heritage Foundation where according to his LinkedIn he has “focused on developing and recommending conservative approaches for Ukraine’s postwar reconstruction.”

    Earlier this year, Dans was the primary organizer behind a much criticized visit to Greenland by Donald Trump Jr., which included meetings with pro-U.S. local figures.

    Dans also speaks frequently of his personal connection to Greenland, citing his grandfather’s WWII-era service helping to build what is now Pituffik Space Base. His twin brother, Paul Dans, is one of the lead architects behind Project 2025, a Heritage Foundation initiative proposing sweeping changes to the federal government under the second Trump administration.

    Senator Ted Cruz and Greenlandic Trump supporter Jørgen Boassen. (American Daybreak Instagram, screenshot)

    Greenland and Denmark push back

    While Dans characterized the trip as apolitical and cultural, the inclusion of National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and Energy Secretary Chris Wright in the delegation drew intense scrutiny. The Greenlandic government, in the midst of post-election negotiations, was not notified in advance, prompting Prime Minister Múte B. Egede to call the visit “a provocation” and “very aggressive American pressure.”

    Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen similarly rebuked the visit as “unacceptable pressure,” and Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen welcomed the later change in itinerary, describing it as a “positive development” that may help reduce tensions.

    Even with the plans now limited to Pituffik Space Base, many Greenlandic and Danish officials remain wary of what they view as a broader U.S. strategy to assert influence over the Arctic territory.

    A mysterious organization with growing reach

    Despite its increasing role in Arctic affairs, American Daybreak remains largely unknown to the public. Its website incudes only a “coming soon” message and a contact forum and its Instagram page, which was created 6 days ago, has only nine followers. Among the limited content is a photo of Greenlandic Trump supporter Jørgen Boassen posing with far-right figures such as Nigel Farage and Conor McGregor, U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, as well as pictures of Dans.

    Despite the strong reaction to the visit from authorities in Nuuk and Copenhagen, Dans insists the group’s mission is grounded in goodwill, stating.

    “We at American Daybreak are guided by a deep and abiding concern for others. We work in the spirit of Peace and Goodwill, or Pax et Bonum.”

    But resident Donald Trump’s recent declarations on Greenland, including his statement that the U.S. will take it over “one way or another,” American Daybreak’s unofficial diplomacy arguably aligns with current U.S. interests.

    From cultural outreach to geopolitical Signal

    The scaled-back visit may remove some of the symbolic weight that would have come with appearing at a high-profile Greenlandic cultural event. But the underlying tensions remain.

    American Daybreak, once a nearly invisible entity, now finds itself at the center of a foreign policy dispute in one of the world’s most strategically important regions. As the delegation arrives at Pituffik Space Base later this week, all eyes will be on what message this visit—and the people behind it—intend to send.

    Arctic Today has reached out Thomas Dans and American Daybreak in recent months without luck.