Washington, August 24 (RHC)-- President Trump, who sparked controversy with this comments about purchasing Greenland, at one point mentioned trading Puerto Rico for the Danish territory, a former White House official has told The New York Times. 

According to the report, a former official at the White House overheard the U.S. president "joking" about trading the U.S. colony for Greenland last year.}

Trump has frequently sparred with Puerto Rican politicians, calling them "corrupt."  the U.S. president has repeatedly made the incorrect claim the island received $92 billion in disaster relief for Hurricane Maria.  And Puerto Rican officials have criticized the president for not doing more in the aftermath of the 2017 natural disaster, which devastated the island.  His behavior during a visit after the storm, when he flipped rolls of paper towels into the crowd, was also criticized by Puerto Rican officials.

Spokespeople for the White House and Puerto Rico Gov. Wanda Vásquez, who was appointed to the position earlier this month, did not immediately respond to comment on Trump's reported comments. 

Trump postponed a state visit to Denmark after Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said earlier this week that Trump's suggestion that the U.S. might be interested in purchasing Greenland is “absurd.” 

“Greenland is not Danish.  Greenland is Greenlandic.  I persistently hope that this is not something that is seriously meant," Frederiksen told reporters.

Trump defended his decision to cancel the visit on Wednesday, telling reporters Frederiksen’s comment “was a very not nice way of saying something.”  Trump said: “They could have told me no." 

His interest in purchasing Greenland even stunned foreign policy experts.  Reports first emerged at the end of last week that Trump had expressed interest in purchasing Greenland.