During a US Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on 28/1, Senator Tim Kaine, a Democratic Party member, questioned Secretary of State Marco Rubio about President Donald Trump's repeated confusion between Greenland and Iceland. Kaine noted, "President Donald Trump has repeatedly confused Greenland with Iceland, correct? We do not have tensions with Iceland. They have not cost the US anything."

"Yes, he meant to refer to Greenland, but I think we have all seen presidents make verbal slips," Rubio replied. The US Secretary of State then implicitly criticized former President Joe Biden, Trump's predecessor, adding, "We have had presidents like that before, some even stumbled more." Former President Biden had a history of verbal slips while in office.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio testifying before the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee on 28/1. Photo: AP

Secretary of State Marco Rubio testifying before the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee on 28/1. Photo: AP

President Trump attended the annual World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, on 21/1, where he delivered a speech. He mentioned Iceland four times in his comments regarding strained relations between the US and NATO members. "I am helping Europe. I am helping NATO. Until a few days ago, before I told them about Iceland, they still loved me," Trump stated. Iceland is an island nation in the Atlantic Ocean, situated between Greenland and the United Kingdom.

Minutes later in his speech, President Trump again mentioned Iceland three times, expressing skepticism about NATO allies' commitment to stand with the US. He said, "They are not standing with us on the Iceland issue. I see that clearly. Our stock market fell for the first time yesterday because of Iceland. So Iceland has cost us a lot of money."

President Trump repeatedly mentioned Iceland in his speech on 21/1 before the WEF. Video: X/ClashReport

This detail garnered significant attention across US media and social media. Libbey Dean, a journalist for NewsNation, suggested the US leader had confused Greenland with Iceland.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt asserted on 21/1 that President Trump had not made a mistake. "His prepared remarks referred to Greenland as 'a piece of ice' because that's what it is. You are the only one confusing things," Leavitt wrote on social media, apparently referring to the combination of "ice" and "land." After Secretary Rubio confirmed President Trump's misstatement, numerous social media users added a "Press Secretary did not state the truth" note to Leavitt's post.

Nhu Tam (According to The Hill, USA Today)