Trump Iceland Ambassador Nominee Apologizes After '52nd State' Joke Spurs Icelandic Backlash
Former Rep. Billy Long, President Trump’s nominee for U.S. ambassador to Iceland, has apologized after privately joking to House colleagues that the Arctic island would become the "52nd state" with him as its governor, remarks that leaked and triggered pushback in Reykjavík. Long told Arctic Today he was "just joking" during a reunion with former colleagues and said "if anyone took offense to it, then I apologize," but Iceland’s Foreign Ministry has already demanded an explanation from the U.S. Embassy and an Icelandic MP called the episode "very serious for a small country like Iceland." The controversy lands as Trump openly threatens to take neighboring Greenland "one way or the other," has named Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry as a special envoy to Greenland, and has said he wants Canada as the 51st state, rhetoric European governments read as undermining NATO norms. Some Icelanders have launched a petition—now with roughly 2,000 signatures—urging their government to reject Long if the Senate confirms him, reflecting public unease that U.S. talk of forcibly acquiring Greenland could extend to other North Atlantic allies. The flap underscores how Trump’s statehood and annexation talk is complicating the normally low-drama process of staffing key embassies in allied countries critical to Arctic and NATO security.
📌 Key Facts
- Billy Long, a former Republican congressman from Missouri and ex-IRS commissioner, is Trump’s nominee to be U.S. ambassador to Iceland.
- Long privately joked on the House floor that Iceland would become the "52nd state" with him as governor, then apologized, saying the comment was not serious.
- Iceland’s Foreign Ministry sought answers from the U.S. Embassy, an Icelandic MP warned the joke is "very serious" for a small state, and a petition opposing Long as ambassador has drawn around 2,000 signatures.
- The dispute comes amid Trump’s escalating threats to acquire Danish-controlled Greenland "one way or the other" and U.S. officials’ open discussion of using military force despite NATO Article V obligations.
📊 Relevant Data
The United States formally offered Denmark $100 million to purchase Greenland in 1946, recognizing its strategic importance during the early Cold War.
America's Long History of Trying to Acquire Greenland — History.com
Greenland contains some of the world's largest deposits of rare earth elements, with three deposits potentially ranking among the top 10 globally.
The story behind the scramble for Greenland's rare earths — BBC
According to a 2026 Reuters/Ipsos poll, only 17% of Americans approve of U.S. efforts to acquire Greenland, while 47% disapprove and 35% are unsure.
Just one in five Americans support Trump's efforts to acquire Greenland — Reuters
Greenland's population is approximately 56,000, with 89.5% identifying as Greenlandic (predominantly Inuit), 7.5% Danish, and 3% other ethnic groups, based on 2020 estimates.
Demographics of Greenland — Wikipedia
China has shown interest in investing in Greenland's mining sector, particularly rare earth minerals, while Russia has expressed strategic interests in the Arctic region including Greenland.
Trump's latest geopolitical gambits all lead back to China — CNBC
U.S. military action to seize Greenland would violate NATO's Article 5, as Greenland is Danish territory, potentially leading to the dissolution of the alliance.
Grabbing Greenland – and how it would impact NATO and the EU — CEPS
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