Iceland's government has summoned the U.S. ambassador following a social media post by former President Donald Trump that depicted the island nation, along with all of North America and the Caribbean, under U.S. control. The AI-generated image, which labeled the expanded territory as the "United States of America," has drawn sharp criticism from Icelandic officials.
Icelandic Foreign Minister Þorgerður Gunnarsdóttir described the post as "absurd" and stated that "there is nothing funny or normal about making fun of the sovereignty of states." She further characterized the image as an "inappropriate" and "bad joke." The ministry conveyed this sentiment to U.S. Ambassador Billy Long during a meeting, emphasizing the post's unacceptability.
Trump, who has previously expressed interest in expanding U.S. territory and has floated ideas about annexing Greenland, posted the altered map on Monday without explicit explanation. This has led to speculation that the post was intended to provoke or troll critics, a tactic he has employed before. While Trump has previously mixed up Iceland and Greenland, the latest post specifically included Iceland within the altered U.S. map.
The Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen also condemned the post, reiterating that Greenlanders do not wish to be part of the United States. "I hope no one is in any doubt about that, either in the United States or the rest of the world," she stated.
Canada also reacted to the post, with Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre uniting his party in denouncing the "unacceptable tweets, trolling and tariffs." The reaction from Canada comes amid ongoing trade disputes between the two nations.
U.S. Ambassador Billy Long, a former U.S. representative, had previously apologized earlier this year for a remark suggesting he could be governor if Iceland became a U.S. state, following backlash in Iceland.