'We will never sign!' Trump stuns as he issues 'bizarre' demand to Swedish city

Trump throws a lot of punches but not many seem to land.

Valeskog is quoted as saying, "If the U.S. terminates its relationship with the city planning office, the embassy will have difficulty obtaining a building permit if they want to rebuild, for example. That's their headache, not ours."
Wonderful! Valeskog, have a beer on me!

Sweden should summon the American ambassador and tell him to stop violating Swedish law. Then threaten to send all embassy staff family members back to the US. Oops, just saw we haven't appointed an ambassador yet. Sweden should just expel the entire embassy. Don't come back without an actual ambassador.

The US embassy in Norway sent a letter to their electricity and heat provider (Hafslund), demanding that they stop any DEI type activities within the company.
Hafslunds' response was, in short, "we can stop providing power and heat, no problem".
- Yeah this has to be malicious compliance from the embassy staff.
  
  No it's the Nazi playbook quite literally.

Valeskog is quoted as saying, "If the U.S. terminates its relationship with the city planning office, the embassy will have difficulty obtaining a building permit if they want to rebuild, for example. That's their headache, not ours."
Love it!

America is a joke.
The rest of the world is actively rejecting your bullshit, and you are going to be worse off for it.
- I would say politicians are using the rise in anti American sentiment to solidify their positions in more nationalist forms of government. I would warn my comrades in the west. This rise in nationalism can be dangerous. Even if it is directed at being against America (which is good) it can also be leveraged to build fascist policies in your own country. Be wary of your "liberal" politicians and parties. They likely do not have your best interest at heart. They know material conditions will decline with the fall of the American empire. They will do everything they can to keep their power. And they'll do it off the backs of your working class.
  Do not substitute class solidarity for Nationalism. Tarrifs are a direct attack on the working class of the world. We pay those. No matter what country we reside in.
- Trump is a joke. And so is the majority of American voters circa 2024. Don't confuse the situation, however, or you're just strengthening Trump.
  But hey, do as you will. It's a free world, my friend. They don't control us, they just try to. Fuck the fascists, and those who would tell us how to speak, act, and think.
  Yet, never live in their world, or a world of your own miscreation. We're better than him, are we not? America is not your enemy, Trump is. His power is fleeting, but you must fight him, not all of us... Or else, all is lost, and all of us lose.
  Unite, my friends. Fight the villain, not the masquerade. Or don't... And find out how far down the rabbit hole we can descend. They want us divided, so you could oblige their demands. It's up to you.
  
  Trump is just a man. Human being, meat and bone. He's a symptom of the disease that has been present and growing in the USA for a long time. I think it's a dangerous oversimplification to believe the US will be healthy once he's gone.
- THANKS WE KNOW THAT PART, CAN YOU TELL US HOW TO FIX IT?
  
  This is the only idea I've had so far
  
  Haven't you had gun nuts banging on about what you do in this scenario for decades?
  
  We already know and various users from other countries have very explicitly told us. We're just waiting for more answers palatable to us because most of us aren't willing to risk anything.
  
  Well one person was pretty darn close to solving the whole issue but they kind of faltered at the last moment.

This administration is just completely bonkers. WTF.
- They are really really really really sexist and racist.

Thanks US voters!
- Don't forget the non-voters.
  
  I actually hate them more than the voters of trump. Even more than the triple voters. They will have none of my thanks.

I like the response from the Swedes, shove it.

He's lost his fucking mind.....
- “What a waste it is to lose one's mind. Or not to have a mind. How true that is.”
  ― Dan Quayle
  
  I think of Trump more in terms of this Hunter S. Thompson quote about Nixon:
  He neither drinks nor smokes, they say, and bars make him nervous. Humphrey Bogart would have taken a dim view of Nixon. It was Bogart who said, “You can’t trust a man who doesn’t drink.” And it was Raoul Duke who said, “I’d never buy a used car from Nixon unless he was drunk.”
  
  “What a waste it is to lose one's mind. Or not to have a mind. How true that is.”
  ― Dan Quayle
  ”A mind is a terrible thing to waste.”
  \ — Major Chip Hazard

I'm waiting for him to demand those penguin islands produce fewer gay penguins.

When Trump heard that the president is "the leader of the free world", he took it literally and thinks he's the ruler of the world.

Motherfucker needs to look up the definition of a sovereign country. Who am I kidding the stupid fuck doesn't even know how to read.

I doubt these are just idle demands. They will be used, flimsy as they are, as pretense for more tariffs, sanctions, or worse. He's picking a fight.

Is there a link not behind a paywall?
- The United States is requiring businesses and government offices in Stockholm, Sweden, to comply with the Trump administration's anti-DEI policies, according to Swedish news outlet Dagens Nyheter.
  "Stockholm's urban planning office must not work for diversity, equity, and inclusion," according to the outlet's English translation. "The U.S. embassy demands this in a letter with a contract that they expect the city to sign."
  Stockholm's urban planning councilor Jan Valeskog called the requirement "completely bizarre," adding, "We will never sign this contract."
  In addition, the U.S. Embassy is requiring Swedish suppliers "to certify that they do not apply certain inclusion programs," the outlet reported.
  The X account @ChrisO_wiki translated more of the report in a post, saying the Swedish government was given 10 days to comply.
  "Since February 2025, US embassies around the world have been sending letters to local contractors making similar demands," the post said. "This seems to be the first time that it's been reported that a similar letter has been sent to a foreign government organisation."
  Valeskog is quoted as saying, "If the U.S. terminates its relationship with the city planning office, the embassy will have difficulty obtaining a building permit if they want to rebuild, for example. That's their headache, not ours."
  The X account continued, "The Swedish government says that it would violate Swedish law to comply with such a demand. Commenting on similar letters sent to Swedish businesses, Minister for Gender Equality and Working Life Nina Larsson says: 'According to the Discrimination Act, Swedish companies are obliged to work preventively and actively to counteract discrimination and promote equal rights – for example based on gender, ethnicity or disability. Otherwise, there may be penalties. Companies should feel secure in the fact that Swedish law is firm. It is also important that we – both politically and from the industries – are clear about this towards foreign clients.'"
  
  Thanks