Karoline Leavitt denies Trump's Greenland–Iceland error at Davos, says media 'mixing anything up'

WASHINGTON, DC: White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has claimed President Donald Trump did not get confused between Greenland and Iceland during his speech in Davos.

Her Wednesday, February 21, statement came as a counter to videos of Trump's address where appeared to have mixed up Greenland and Iceland multiple times.

Trump called Greenland 'piece of ice', not Iceland: Leavitt

NewsNation’s Libbey Dean was on the receiving end of a sharp rebuke from Leavitt after she posted on X that Trump mixed up between Greenland and Iceland three times. 

Dean had written, “During his @wef remarks, President Trump appeared to mix up Greenland and Iceland around three times.”

Karoline Leavitt wasted no time in correcting the record after Libbey Dean suggested on social media that President Trump had confused the two nations. 

Responding directly on X, Leavitt wrote, “No he didn’t, Libby. 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.” 

Following the social media exchange, PEOPLE reached out to the White House for comment on the specific instances where the President was heard using the word "Iceland." 

White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers dismissed the focus on the verbal slips and stated “President Trump delivered a historic speech in Davos laying out America’s compelling national security interests involving Greenland. Mere hours afterward, President Trump announced the framework for a future deal with respect to Greenland. President Trump continues to deliver results while the failing, liberal media melts down.”

A Strategic Mandate for World Protection

During the speech, Trump revisited his past interactions with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), recalling when Secretary-General Mark Rutte reportedly acknowledged his leadership role. 

“They called me 'daddy' last time. Very smart man said, 'He's our daddy. He's running (NATO).' I was, like, running it. I went from running it to being a terrible human being,” Trump remarked, highlighting how European leaders' stance on him changed dramatically.

Trump framed the acquisition of Greenland as a common-sense necessity for global stability, noting that the US has provided decades of protection for Europe. 

He described the territory as “a piece of ice, cold and poorly located, that can play a vital role in world peace and world protection,” and called it “a very small ask compared to what we have given (NATO) for many, many decades.” 

By the end of the day, the President’s firm stance appeared to pay off, as he announced a new framework for a "forever deal" on Arctic security, proving once again that his unconventional approach yields real-world progress.