Short answer: Although multiple livestreams show the song "Send in the Clowns" playing before the Sept. 22, 2026 Trump–Rubio Greenland press event, there is no evidence that Danish officials or the United Nations selected the music. Denmark's Ministry of Foreign Affairs denied involvement and the UN referred questions to the U.S. Mission. The U.S. Mission had not replied at the time of reporting.
Fact Check: 'Send in the Clowns' Played Before Trump–Rubio Greenland Event — Denmark and UN Deny Involvement
Lead Stories says: US Playlist
Live video of the Sept. 22, 2026 press event on Greenland that featured President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio shows the song "Send in the Clowns" playing in the pre-event playlist. However, there is no evidence that Danish officials or Danish media selected the music, and both Denmark's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the United Nations press office have denied involvement.
What Happened
On Sept. 22, 2026, a post and video published on X by the @donkoclock account claimed Danish organizers had queued the lyrics "send in the clowns" while waiting for the speakers. The clip includes shots of the room and a close-up on Marco Rubio as the song plays. Additional live feeds from CNBC-TV18 (YouTube) and Magno News (Facebook) also show the song in the playlist before the event began.
Official Responses
Lead Stories contacted relevant offices about who chose the music. On Sept. 23, 2026, Denmark's press office at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs replied by email:
"Denmark was not involved in the choice of music during the signing."
The Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General at the UN also replied on Sept. 23, 2026. Associate Spokesperson Daniela Gross De Almeida wrote:
Image source: post by @donkoclock on X.
"Please contact the US Mission, as we didn't organize this event."
Lead Stories did not receive an immediate reply from the U.S. Mission to the United Nations at the time of reporting.
Context
"Send in the Clowns" is a well-known song written by Stephen Sondheim for the 1973 musical "A Little Night Music." Its appearance in the pre-event playlist is confirmed by multiple livestream recordings, but confirmation of who selected the playlist has not been provided by any party that organized or hosted the event. The UN directed queries to the U.S. Mission, and Denmark denied involvement.
Bottom Line
Multiple live feeds verify that "Send in the Clowns" was played before the Sept. 22, 2026 press event, but there is no evidence that Danish officials or the UN chose the music. Denmark has explicitly denied involvement, the UN said it did not organize the event, and the U.S. Mission had not responded immediately to requests for comment.
Sources: Live-stream recordings from CNBC-TV18 and Magno News; X post by @donkoclock; email replies from Denmark's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the UN Office of the Spokesperson (Sept. 23, 2026).
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