MAGA Defends Trump Is 'Correct' After He Mixes Up Greenland and Iceland Three Times — 'They're the Same!'

US President Donald Trump has ignited a diplomatic firestorm and social media ridicule after repeatedly referring to Greenland as 'Iceland' during a high-stakes address at the 56th World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland.

In the 21 January 2026 speech, Trump appeared to conflate the two Nordic nations at least four times while discussing his controversial ambitions to acquire the Danish territory.

Despite the clear geographic blunder, the White House and MAGA loyalists have launched a vigorous counter-offensive, insisting the President's remarks were 'technically correct' because Greenland is, in his administration's view, merely a 'piece of ice'. The error was captured on video and highlighted by broadcasters.

White House Denial And MAGA Response

The White House's official response was swift and unapologetic. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt took to X (formerly Twitter) to dispute the notion that Trump had mixed up the two countries, instead insisting that his 'written remarks referred to Greenland as a 'piece of ice' because that's what it is.'

Leavitt's post was a direct rebuttal to NewsNation correspondent Libbey Dean's X thread, which had correctly identified the mix-up in Trump's spoken remarks.

Rather than acknowledge the clear difference between what was written on the prepared script and what was verbally delivered, the press secretary shifted the focus entirely to the written language, dismissing the spoken errors as media misrepresentation.

This defensive posture has been widely amplified within MAGA political circles, where Trump supporters argue that his overall strategic thrust on Greenland and NATO overshadows any linguistic slips.

These defenders maintain that Trump's emphasis was on Greenland's strategic importance, citing its Arctic location and security value, and that critics are exaggerating a minor linguistic confusion.

Trump's Greenland Ambitions And Diplomatic Fallout

The Davos address was not merely a geography lesson; it was part of Trump's ongoing campaign to press for greater US involvement in Greenland. Trump has long asserted that Greenland, which is legally part of Denmark and has broad self-governance, should be of keen US interest, even suggesting acquisition or enhanced control for strategic purposes.

In Davos, after the gaffe occurred, Trump appeared to pivot from earlier confrontational rhetoric. Officials announced a 'framework of a future deal' involving cooperation over Greenland with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, and the administration withdrew threatened tariffs on European allies.

Despite this shift, Danish and Greenlandic leaders have consistently rejected any notion that Greenland is for sale or subject to foreign acquisition. Public protests under slogans such as 'Greenland is not for sale' took place in Copenhagen and Nuuk shortly before Davos, involving tens of thousands of demonstrators.

Internationally, Trump's remarks amid the geographic confusion have strained transatlantic relations. European Union legislatures paused ratification of a trade deal with the U.S. in protest over Greenland rhetoric, while Danish officials reiterated their sovereignty and control over the island.

Impact And Reaction

Political commentators, opposition figures, and diplomatic analysts have been vocal in response to the episode. On US television, leading journalists played back the recorded remarks to demonstrate the mismatches between prepared text and spoken words. A CNN transcript shows Trump explicitly associating NATO cooperation and market movements with the name 'Iceland' in place of the intended target of his remarks.

Opponents argue that defending a clear factual error by embracing a reinterpretation of the written script undermines trust in official communication and fuels misinformation. This debate is happening in parallel with broader discussions about Trump's foreign policy approach, his second-term geopolitics, and the implications of using national platforms to advance territorial ambitions that foreign governments categorically reject.

Critics of the administration's stance have pointed out that Greenland and Iceland are distinct: Iceland is a sovereign nation with its own government, population and economy, while Greenland is a large, predominantly Arctic territory under Danish sovereignty.

The White House's defence of Trump's remarks as 'correct' has widened a divide between reality and political narrative, with supporters insisting the president's strategic messaging remains sound and detractors pointing to a documented pattern of verbal missteps.