Carla Sands, who spent years working as the United States Ambassador to Denmark as part of the Donald Trump administration, has come under heavy criticism for comments made on social media the day before yesterday.
In a tweet about rising gasoline prices in the United States, Sands compared the situation to Denmark, prompting strong criticism and disbelief from commenters for suggesting that Danes ride bicycles because they cannot afford a car.
Carla Sands tweeted, “I’ve seen this before. In Denmark, the middle class can’t drive. They have bicycles and take trains for long journeys. My embassy driver used to cycle for an hour in the snow to get to work. This is the future team Biden wants for Americans. Is this what you want?” It seems that Carla Sands, who recently lost the Senate election in her home state of Pennsylvania, never grasped why the Danes cycle.
Several prominent Danes, including former Transport Minister Penny Englebrecht, were among the many who downplayed her post. He wrote: “As a former Transport Minister, I can assure you that using a bicycle for urban commuting is a matter of choice, not economy, for most Danes.” He also posted a picture of himself on a bicycle when he was Transport Minister, adding: “This, for example, is me when I was a minister – and don’t worry, we can buy a car. Next time you’re here, let’s go for a bike ride.”.
The current Minister of Health, Magnus Heunicke, also weighed in, writing in a tweet that implied she was lying: “Now the former US ambassador appointed by Trump to Denmark is spreading misinformation about us. Our enjoyment of cycling, which is healthy and good for the environment, has become “the middle class can’t drive a car in Denmark.” I refuse to believe she doesn’t know better.”.
Most commentators were surprised that someone could spend so much time in a country without understanding one of its key features.
Carla Sands appears to be in stark contrast to her predecessor Rufus Gifford, who immersed himself in Danish culture, interacted with Danes, and embraced their cycling culture, to the point that he married in Copenhagen and often returns for visits.
Meanwhile, Sands was rarely seen in public during her time working and certainly not on a bicycle; despite living in the best city for cycling in the world.
