NEED TO KNOW
- President Donald Trump appeared to mix up Greenland and Iceland four times during his speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Wednesday, Jan. 21
- After his remarks, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt berated a reporter for posting that Trump mixed the islands up on X, replying, “No he didn’t”
- Trump has repeatedly expressed that he wanted the U.S. to acquire Greenland, which is part of the Kingdom of Denmark, since returning to the White House
President Donald Trump appeared to mix up Greenland and Iceland multiple times at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
Trump, 79, repeatedly referred to Greenland — a NATO territory which he previously expressed that he wants full “ownership” of — as “Iceland” during a speech on Wednesday, Jan. 21.
“I’m helping NATO, and until the last few days, when I told them about Iceland, they loved me,” the president erroneously said, seemingly airing frustration that NATO allies have spoken out against his attempts to take Greenland.
Trump then brought up a moment in June when NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte characterized him as the “daddy” of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, saying, “They called me ‘daddy’ last time. Very smart man said, ‘He’s our daddy. He’s running [NATO].’ I was, like, running it. I went from running it to being a terrible human being.”
Trump continued, saying that he is only asking for “a piece of ice, cold and poorly located, that can play a vital role in world peace and world protection. It’s a very small ask compared to what we have given [NATO] for many, many decades.”
Trump ultimately brought up Iceland four times in his speech, at another point addressing the Greenland-related stock market dip on Tuesday by saying, “They’re not there for us on Iceland, that I can tell you. I mean, our stock market took the first dip yesterday because of Iceland. So Iceland’s already cost us a lot of money.”
Iceland and Greenland neighbor one another, though Greenland is roughly 20 times larger. Both are members of NATO.
After Trump’s remarks, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt berated NewsNation correspondent Libbey Dean for posting about the president’s apparent Iceland gaffes on X, replying, “No he didn’t, Libby [sic]. His written remarks referred to Greenland as a ‘piece of ice’ because that’s what it is. You’re the only one mixing anything up here.”
PEOPLE reached out to the White House for comment on the four parts of Trump’s speech where he was heard saying “Iceland,” prompting a statement from White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers that read, “President Trump delivered a historic speech in Davos laying out America’s compelling national security interests involving Greenland. Mere hours afterward, President Trump announced the framework for a future deal with respect to Greenland. President Trump continues to deliver results while the failing, liberal media melts down.”
Trump has been ramping up his rhetoric about the U.S. acquiring Greenland — a self-governing territory in the Kingdom of Denmark that is rich in oil and untapped mineral resources — since returning to the White House, making a main focal point of the administration in recent weeks.
Trump previously told reporters on Jan. 9, “We are going to do something on Greenland, whether they like it or not, because if we don’t do it, Russia or China will take over Greenland, and we’re not going to have Russia or China as a neighbor.”
However, the Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and other European leaders have pushed back on the idea.
Frederiksen wrote in a statement on Facebook earlier this month, “The United States and Europe are rooted in the idea of freedom. We should never compromise on this. Disagreements and conflicts between the United States and Europe only benefit our adversaries. They weaken us and strengthen them.”
“Denmark is a loyal and strong ally. We are in the midst of a significant rearmament, and we are ready to defend our values — wherever it is necessary — also in the Arctic,” she continued. “We believe in international law and in peoples’ right to self-determination. That’s why we uphold the principles of sovereignty, self-determination and territorial integrity.”
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
During his speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, the president also noted that Europe has a “choice” in whether to accept the United States’ takeover of Greenland or not.
“You can say yes, and we will be very appreciative, or you can say no, and we will remember a strong and secure America means a strong NATO, and that’s one reason why I’m working every day to ensure our military is very powerful,” he said.
Read the full article here