Red baseball caps spoofing Donald Trump’s MAGA hats have become a visible symbol at pro-Greenland protests in Denmark, including in Copenhagen, where demonstrators have worn red caps with the message “Make America Go Away,” parodying Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan.
The caps, along with several variants that have circulated on social media, have also been shown at rallies, including a Saturday demonstration held in freezing weather in the Danish capital. The protests have combined the mock caps with handmade signs aimed at U.S. claims about Greenland, an Arctic territory.
European governments have rallied behind Denmark, citing the need to defend Arctic regions and warning that threats against Greenland undermine Western security. Protesters at the rallies, however, have leaned into humor and direct messaging.
Copenhagen resident Lars Hermansen, 76, said he wore one of the red caps to show support for Greenland and to signal opposition to the U.S. president. “I want to show my support to Greenland and also show that I don’t like the president of the United States,” Hermansen said.
The caps were created by Copenhagen vintage clothing store owner Jesper Rabe Tonnesen. Tonnesen said earlier batches had “flopped” last year, but that demand rose after the Trump administration escalated its rhetoric about Greenland. “When a delegation from America went up to Greenland, we started to realize this probably wasn’t a joke — it’s not reality TV, it’s actually reality,” Tonnesen said, describing the moment he decided to respond publicly.
Tonnesen said the decision was to use a humorous approach to “communicate in a funny way with a good message,” and he said demand shifted from a trickle to selling out quickly. He said he has now ordered “several thousand” caps, after the weekend surge.
The original version of the design featured a play on words, “Nu det NUUK!”—a twist on the Danish phrase “Nu det nok,” meaning “Now it’s enough,” substituting Nuuk, Greenland’s small capital. The same approach—wordplay tied to the territory’s name—has appeared in variants shared by protesters and online.
At Saturday’s rally in front of Copenhagen City Hall, protesters waved red-and-white Danish and Greenlandic flags and carried handmade signs mocking U.S. claims. One sign read “No Means No,” while another declared, “Make America Smart Again.”
Protester Kristian Boye, 49, said the gathering struck a lighthearted tone while still delivering a serious message. “I’m here to support the Greenlanders, who are going through a very hard time right now,” Boye said, adding that he viewed threats of an invasion as unacceptable. “They are being threatened with having their country invaded. I think it’s totally unacceptable.”