US President Donald Trump appeared to stumble during his address to global leaders in Davos on Wednesday, repeatedly referring to “Iceland” when he seemed to mean Greenland — a slip the White House swiftly denied was a mistake.
The 79-year-old Republican has long voiced his desire for the United States to acquire Greenland, a vast autonomous territory of Denmark, arguing that growing Russian and Chinese activity in the Arctic poses security risks. During his speech at the World Economic Forum, Trump announced what he described as a “framework” for a future Greenland deal, along with the scrapping of planned tariffs on European countries that had resisted his push — moves that have already unsettled Nato allies and strained transatlantic ties.
However, his remarks raised eyebrows when he repeatedly mentioned Iceland instead.
“I’m helping Nato, and until the last few days, when I told them about Iceland, they loved me,” Trump told the audience. “They’re not there for us on Iceland — that I can tell you. Our stock market even took its first dip yesterday because of Iceland. Iceland has already cost us a lot of money.”
Observers noted that Trump appeared to be referring to Greenland rather than Iceland, the smaller North Atlantic nation known for its volcanic terrain and scenic landscapes.
Following the speech, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt pushed back strongly against claims of confusion after journalist Libbey Dean posted on X that Trump had mixed up Greenland and Iceland several times.
“No he didn’t,” Leavitt responded. “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,” she wrote, misspelling the journalist’s name in the process.
Trump, as is often the case, deviated frequently from the prepared text displayed on teleprompters during his Davos appearance.
The episode quickly drew political reactions back home. California Governor Gavin Newsom, a prominent Democratic figure and a potential 2028 presidential contender, seized on the moment.
“None of this is normal,” Newsom said. “There’s a normalisation — a deviancy of consciousness.”
A sensitive debate
Questions about Trump’s mental sharpness have become an increasingly sensitive issue. During the 2024 campaign, Trump repeatedly attacked then-president Joe Biden, alleging cognitive decline.
In recent days, some Democratic lawmakers have even floated the idea of invoking the US Constitution’s 25th Amendment, which allows for the removal of a president deemed unfit to discharge the duties of office.
Their concerns were partly fueled by a message Trump sent to Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, made public earlier this week, in which he complained about not receiving the Nobel Peace Prize last year.
In the message, Trump again raised the issue of Greenland and expressed frustration over the award.
“Considering your country decided not to give me the Nobel Peace Prize for having stopped 8 wars plus, I no longer feel an obligation to think purely of peace,” he wrote.
However, the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded by an independent committee, not the Norwegian government — a distinction critics were quick to point out.
