Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that President Donald Trump had previously misspoken while defending his campaign to acquire Greenland, and critics are slamming him.
Testifying before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday, Rubio answered questions for the first time since the U.S. military campaign in Venezuela led to the arrests of leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife. He said the previous regime represented an “untenable situation” and told lawmakers the United States did not intend or expect any further military action “at this time.”
At one point, Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) asked Rubio a question about the president’s desire to acquire Greenland, a desire that continued in the days after the raid. Kaine pointed to an example last week, when Trump mentioned Iceland instead of Greenland four times during a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
“Until the last few days, when I told them about Iceland, they loved me. They called me Dad, right? Last time,” Trump said, referring to NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte’s previous nickname.
About a minute later, Trump claimed, “I can tell you, they’re not supporting us in Iceland.”
“I mean, our stock market fell yesterday for the first time because of Iceland,” Trump said. “So Iceland has cost us a lot of money.”
During the hearing, Kaine asked Rubio directly: “The president has mistaken Iceland for Greenland multiple times, right? We’re not mad at Iceland… The president just mistook the two countries for each other, right?”
“Yes, he wanted to say Greenland, but I think we’re all familiar with presidents who have speech impediments,” Rubio said, appearing to attack former President Joe Biden. “We’ve had presidents like this before. There are people who make a lot more than this one.”
After some reporters and critics pointed out the president’s mistake, White House press secretary Carolyn Leavitt quickly jumped to the defense, responding to NewsNation’s Libbey Dean, who posted on X that Trump “appears to have confused Greenland and Iceland about three times.”
“No, he didn’t, [Libbey]”, Levitt replied. “His written comments refer to Greenland as a ‘piece of ice’ because that’s what it is. You’re the only one here mixing anything up. “
Levitt’s post has since been flagged as a community comment, with user X claiming she was “not telling the truth.”
Some of Trump’s critics were quick to lash out at Levitt after his conversation with Rubio.
“Rubio called Caroline Leavitt a liar,” the progressive network MeidasTouch responded, though Rubio did not directly use the label.
“So the press secretary wasn’t there?” another user asked. “Shocking.”
Democratic congressional candidate Fred Wellman added: “Mark, bad shot! Good luck next time.”
Trump told reporters last week that he would announce compromise details on the future of Greenland, which lies within the borders of NATO ally Denmark, within “two weeks.” His deadline came a day after he announced a “framework of agreement” with the NATO alliance, without providing any details.
Trump called the potential offers “endless,” adding that it would be “a forever deal.”
“We have a great relationship with Greenland right now,” Rubio said during Wednesday’s hearing. He noted that a “professional” process was underway which would lead to “a good outcome for everyone”.
Trump faces fierce resistance from officials in Greenland and Denmark, who argue the semi-autonomous Arctic territory is not for sale. However, the president has often insisted that ownership of the island, which contains vital rare earth minerals, is necessary for national security, while warning Russia or China not to occupy the island in the future.
In announcing the “Framework,” Trump also mentioned his proposed Golden Dome missile defense system, which he has previously teased would be operational before the end of his term in 2029.
“The need for acquisition is especially important because of the Golden Dome and modern weapons systems, both offensive and defensive,” Trump wrote in an article published in Truth Social.
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