Donald Trump Referred To Greenland As ‘Iceland’ Onstage At Davos 4 Times

At least four times, President Donald Trump referred to Greenland — the semiautonomous Danish territory that he wants to bring under United States control — as the completely separate nation of Iceland during a rambling speech he delivered at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Wednesday.

The first apparent mix-up came around 40 minutes into his remarks.

“Until the last few days, when I told them about Iceland, they loved me,” Trump said, referring to his fellow NATO members. “Now what I’m asking for is a piece of ice. Cold, 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 them for many, many decades.”

Trump referred to Greenland similarly other times in his speech, once calling the island nation “a large piece of ice in the middle of the ocean.”

At another point, he said, “We want a piece of ice for world protection and they won’t give it.”

Trump lambasted NATO for what he characterized as a failure to show sufficient gratitude to the United States for its contributions to the alliance.

“I know we’d be there for them,” he said. “I don’t know that they’d be there for us. So, with all the money we expend, with all the blood, sweat and tears, I don’t know that they’d be there for us.”

“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.”

(The stock market indeed dropped on Tuesday — but after Trump’s threats to Greenland, not Iceland.)

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt reacted to the apparent mistake by denying it happened.

In response to a NewsNation reporter who pointed out the “Iceland” remarks, Leavitt wrote on X, “No he didn’t.”

“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,” Leavitt said.

Trump’s written remarks may not have referenced Iceland, but he is widely known to go off-the-cuff at length during any given speech.

In response to a request for clarity, spokesperson Taylor Rogers emphasized Trump’s “historic speech” and the framework for a security deal with Greenland and Denmark that was announced shortly afterward.

“President Trump continues to deliver results while the failing, liberal media melts down,” Rogers said.

Greenland, while largely self-governing, has been part of the Danish crown for hundreds of years. Iceland has been an independent nation since World War II.

Trump has cited U.S. occupation of Greenland during World War II as justification for taking control now, saying Wednesday that the U.S. should not have given Greenland “back to Denmark” after the war. An agreement to maintain U.S. military bases on the island, however, remains in full effect.