- Trump posted a map on Truth Social showing the U.S. sprawling across all of North America and extending to Greenland and Iceland, colored in the red, white and blue stars and stripes of the U.S. flag.
- Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen called the map 'disturbing and, in many ways, completely inappropriate,' saying it was a sign that the U.S. president still harbors a maximalist vision.
- Iceland’s Foreign and Defense Secretary Thorgerdur Katrín Gunnarsdóttir summoned U.S. Ambassador Billy Long to a meeting, national broadcaster RÚV said.
- Trump suggested renaming New Mexico as 'New America' over the Labor Day weekend.
- Some in Iceland became alarmed when Trump mistakenly named while speaking about his designs on Greenland, leading the left-leaning coalition government to move up a referendum on EU membership.
- Thousands of Icelanders signed a petition urging the prime minister to reject Long as ambassador after he made a crack about Iceland becoming the 52nd U.S. state; Long apologized and took up his post in Reykjavik last month.
- Trump has riled up Canada with frequent talk of it becoming a U.S. state.
Former President Donald Trump ignited international controversy by posting a map on social media that depicted the U.S. flag covering all of North America, Greenland, and Iceland. The map, colored in the red, white, and blue of the U.S. flag, drew immediate backlash from Danish officials.
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen described the post as “disturbing and, in many ways, completely inappropriate,” emphasizing that it reflects Trump’s “maximalist vision” for U.S. expansionism. He urged for a need to “rein that in.”
In response, Iceland’s Foreign and Defense Secretary Thorgerdur Katrín Gunnarsdóttir summoned U.S. Ambassador Billy Long for a meeting, as reported by national broadcaster RÚV. The tensions were exacerbated by Trump’s previous comments about making Canada the 51st state and his controversial remarks regarding Greenland.
The situation has led to alarm among Icelanders, with some calling for a referendum to resume negotiations for EU membership, originally planned for next year. This comes after a petition was signed by thousands urging the prime minister to reject Long as ambassador due to his earlier comments about Iceland becoming the 52nd U.S. state.
Trump’s remarks have not only riled up Iceland but also Canada, where he has frequently suggested similar statehood ideas. Over the Labor Day weekend, he also proposed renaming New Mexico as “New America.”
“The map, shared without explanation on Truth Social, echoes Trump's past remarks about Canada becoming the 51st state and his interest in Greenland. Iceland's foreign secretary summoned U.S. Ambassador Billy Long, while thousands of Icelanders had earlier petitioned against his appointment after a joke about Iceland becoming the 52nd state.”
