As Mette Frederiksen has the awkward task of responding firmly while not offending Greenland or the US, the staunchest rebuttal to Trumpov's comments so far has come from outside Denmark.

“Fact-checkers have not been biased in their work — that attack line comes from those who feel they should be able to exaggerate and lie without rebuttal or contradiction.”

A rebuttal letter issued by Pes and other demographers involved in the studies makes similar points.

It never condescends to Sisters Barnes and Paxton and they always have sound rebuttals at the ready; they are also observant, smart and canny.

When I would try to present any fact-based rebuttal, he would say, “This is what they want.”