Jeff Landry now has two roles: Governor and Greenland envoy. It’s unclear how he will manage both.

Most of Jeff Landry’s predecessors as Louisiana governor never saw the need for a side hustle. For them, running the state was more than enough of a job. 

But Landry has made it clear he doesn’t want to be like other governors. His chutzpah might have been why the governor felt comfortable asking President Donald Trump to name him special envoy to Greenland on top of his duties overseeing Louisiana. 

Trump has made increasingly charged remarks in recent days about the United States taking control of Greenland, a self-ruling territory in the Kingdom of Denmark. In response, several European countries have announced their support for Greenland, with some launching military exercises to back up their stance. 

To what extent it is practical for the governor of Louisiana to be involved with the sensitive, international negotiations over Greenland that have much of Europe on edge while also managing one of the neediest states in the country remains to be seen.

“Most of us in Louisiana would think he is supposed to have a full-time job already,” said Terry Ryder, who served as general counsel for former Govs. Mike Foster and Kathleen Blanco and worked for former Govs. Buddy Roemer and Bobby Jindal.

“Having been with multiple administrations, four administrations, there is always way more to do than any one governor can do,” Ryder said. 

Foreign affairs experts agreed it could be challenging for Landry to hold both roles at the same time. Special envoys, particularly ones handling high-profile issues for the White House, are often expected to devote their full attention to their assignment, they said. 

“Anytime you have two jobs, you are probably not doing either of them very well,” said Barbara Bodine, a former U.S. ambassador to Yemen who is now the director of the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University. 

“It is going to take a lot of his time out of state,” Bodine said of the envoy position. “There is no way you can be governor of Louisiana by Zoom.”

Landry’s staff declined to answer almost all questions emailed to them last week about the governor’s role as special envoy, including one regarding concerns the position could distract from his job as governor.

How much time will Landry spend on Greenland? His staff won’t say.

Landry isn’t being paid for his work as special envoy, his state staff said. But how much energy he will spend on Greenland isn’t clear.

Landry went to Washington, D.C., Thursday to participate in discussions that included the Trump administration, members of Congress and emissaries from Greenland and Denmark. He has also appeared in person on national television shows to talk about Greenland during a New York trip earlier this month. 

The governor’s office would not provide an estimate for how many hours Landry expects to spend per month on his Greenland role or to what extent he would be traveling for those duties.

Questions about whether Landry will receive federal staff or a D.C. office for his envoy role went unanswered by the governor’s staff. The U.S. Department of State and the White House press offices also didn’t answer questions about the federal resources Landry might receive. 

Foreign diplomacy experts said there are no set rules for an envoy, including whether the role is done on a part- or full-time basis. Historically, presidents have used special envoys because the positions allow for that type of flexibility. 

“It can be full time for a while, and then there is a pause in negotiations, and the envoy goes back to whatever they were doing before and just keeps a watchful eye on the matter,” James Bishop, a former U.S. ambassador to Nigeria, Liberia and Somalia, said in an interview. 

Given Trump’s intense focus on Greenland, however, foreign policy experts said Landry, as special envoy, would normally receive some federal staff support at the U.S. State Department on a temporary basis.

Landry would also be expected to make negotiations over Greenland his top priority while the discussions are taking place, the experts said.

“A sitting governor who intends to keep his day job is unusual, to say the least, because one of the reasons that you have a special envoy is that you have an issue that is meddlesome, and you need to find somebody who can focus on that issue to try to resolve it,” said Bodine, who teaches about the role of special envoys in one of her classes at Georgetown.

In recent history, Bill Richardson is the only other governor who had a strong hand in foreign affairs while holding his state office. The Democrat worked as a “freelance diplomat” to get American hostages released while leading New Mexico from 2003-11, although he was never designated a special envoy for the president during that time.

Unlike Landry, Richardson had significant experience in foreign relations before he became governor. He first helped free an American hostage in 1994 during a trip to North Korea that he took as a New Mexico congressman, and he served as President Bill Clinton’s ambassador to the United Nations in 1997-98.

Landry says he wants Greenland deals for Louisiana 

While no connection between Greenland and Louisiana is apparent, it hasn’t stopped Landry from trying to make one with the arctic island.

“They tell me they like to hunt, they like to fish, they like to have a good time. I’m like, ‘Y’all belong in Louisiana,’” Landry said on the Brian Kilmeade Show on Fox News Radio this month.

The governor has also taken great pains, even on national broadcasts, to say he will use his role as special envoy to Greenland to create business investment for Louisiana.

“I can’t wait to have discussions with Greenland about the opportunities that we can do in Louisiana,” Landry said during an appearance on CNBC Squawk Box.

The Louisiana Economic Development agency, which is run by a Landry appointee, is not actively working on business deals in Greenland but would welcome those types of projects, according to a spokeswoman. 

“[W]e are excited about the future opportunities that Governor Landry’s new role brings,” Emma Wagner said for the agency in a written statement. 

Talk of mixing Louisiana’s business with his special envoy duties alarmed foreign policy experts interviewed for this story. They said the governor using a diplomatic role abroad to gin up investment for the state would create ethical concerns and possibly run afoul of federal law. 

“It could get messy if, for example, any company that has an office, much less a headquarters, in Louisiana that would benefit from mining, refining or shipping,” Bodine said. 

There have also been questions about whether Landry might be violating a Louisiana constitutional law that prohibits public officials from holding federal and state jobs at the same time. But Ryder, who worked for four governors as an attorney, said he doubts Landry’s unpaid role will raise concerns.

“I would say the less formal it is, the safer it is for him,” Ryder said. “There is nothing wrong with a governor helping the president of the United States.” 

Whether Landry’s Greenland assignment will be popular with Louisiana voters is another matter. Former Gov. Bobby Jindal saw his polling numbers tank while he started traveling frequently to raise money and generate support for his 2016 presidential campaign.

Bernie Pinsonat, a Louisiana political consultant and polling expert, doubts Louisiana voters have paid much attention to the governor’s Greenland job. Landry’s approval ratings are already low, standing at 39% according to one recent poll, but won’t necessarily sink further because of the special envoy job, he said.

“I’ll guarantee you that if [Louisiana voters] think he’s too involved in national politics versus what he’s doing here, believe me, he’ll suffer,” the pollster said. “But I don’t think he’s anywhere near that.”