Donald Trump Called Greenland ‘Iceland’ Onstage At Davos 4 Times | EUROtoday

At least 4 instances, President Donald Trump referred to Greenland — the semiautonomous Danish territory that he needs to convey beneath United States management — because the fully separate nation of Iceland throughout a rambling speech he delivered on the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Wednesday.

The first obvious mix-up got here round 40 minutes into his remarks.

“Until the last few days, when I told them about Iceland, they loved me,” Trump mentioned, 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 equally different instances in his speech, as soon as calling the island nation “a large piece of ice in the middle of the ocean.”

At one other level, he mentioned, “We want a piece of ice for world protection and they won’t give it.”

Trump lambasted NATO for what he characterised as a failure to point out enough gratitude to the United States for its contributions to the alliance.

“I know we’d be there for them,” he mentioned. “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 inventory market certainly dropped on Tuesday — however after Trump’s threats to Greenland, not Iceland.)

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt reacted to the obvious mistake by denying it occurred.

In response to a NewsNation reporter who identified 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 mentioned.

Trump’s written remarks might not have referenced Iceland, however he’s extensively recognized to go off-the-cuff at size throughout any given speech.

In response to a request for readability, spokesperson Taylor Rogers emphasised Trump’s “historic speech” and the framework for a safety take care of Greenland and Denmark that was introduced shortly afterward.

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

Greenland, whereas largely self-governing, has been a part of the Danish crown for lots of of years. Iceland has been an unbiased nation since World War II.

Trump has cited U.S. occupation of Greenland throughout World War II as justification for taking management now, saying Wednesday that the U.S. shouldn’t have given Greenland “back to Denmark” after the warfare. An settlement to keep up U.S. army bases on the island, nevertheless, stays in full impact.