Donald Trump Repeatedly Mixes Up Greenland and Iceland in Recorded Speech

President Donald Trump appeared to confuse Greenland and Iceland several times while speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

During his Wednesday, Jan. 21 remarks, Trump, 79, repeatedly referred to Greenland — a NATO-linked territory he has previously said he wants full “ownership” of — as “Iceland,” as he vented about allied resistance to his push.

“I’m helping NATO, and until the last few days, when I told them about Iceland, they loved me,” Trump said, seemingly frustrated that allies have spoken out against his attempts to take Greenland.

He then referenced a moment in June when NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte characterized him as the “daddy” of the alliance, recalling, “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 argued that what he wants is modest, insisting he’s only asking for “a piece of ice, cold and poorly located, that can play a vital role in world peace and world protection.” He added that it was “a very small ask compared to what we have given [NATO] for many, many decades.”

Over the course of the speech, Trump ultimately brought up Iceland four times. At another point, he tied a market drop to the situation, 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 are neighbors, though Greenland is roughly 20 times larger. Both are members of NATO.

After the remarks, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt criticized NewsNation correspondent Libbey Dean for posting about the apparent 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.”

The White House later defended the speech more broadly, with spokesperson Taylor Rogers saying, “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 it a major focus of the administration in recent weeks.

He 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.”

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and other European leaders have pushed back on the idea. Frederiksen wrote 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.”

During his Davos speech, Trump also suggested Europe has a “choice” in whether to accept the United States’ takeover of Greenland.

“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.