Trump’s Iceland ambassador nominee apologizes for joking about island as 52nd state
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Former Rep. Billy Long, who was nominated by President Donald Trump to be ambassador to Iceland, apologized after privately joking to House lawmakers that the Arctic island would be the “52nd state” of which he would be governor.
Long, a Republican who represented Missouri from 2011 to 2023 and served a brief stint as IRS commissioner last year, said he was just joking with his former congressional colleagues.
“There was nothing serious about it, I was with some people I hadn’t met in three years and they were joking about Jeff Landry being governor of Greenland and they started joking about me too and if anyone was offended by that, I’m sorry,” Long told Arctic Today.
“I’m sorry and that’s my only comment, I look forward to working with the people of Iceland and I’m sorry it was done that way, I was with a group of friends and there was nothing serious about it,” he added.
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Former Rep. Billy Long has apologized after privately joking that the Arctic island would be the “52nd state” of which he would be governor. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Trump recently appointed Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry as special envoy to Greenland.
It comes as Trump further escalated his threat to seize the Danish territory of Greenland, saying he planned to take the island “one way or another”.
“We’re going to do something in Greenland whether they want it or not,” Trump said last week. “Because if we don’t, Russia or China will take over Greenland and we won’t have neighbors with Russia or China.”
Trump administration officials are openly considering options such as using military force to seize Greenland. Article V of NATOThe statement stated that an attack on one of the members would be considered an attack on all of them and that the alliance of more than 75 years could end:
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Billy Long represented Missouri from 2011 to 2023 and served briefly as IRS commissioner last year. (Getty Images)
Denmark and other European countries have made moves including sending additional troops to Greenland in the event of a US invasion and supporting the region by reaffirming its position that it does not want to join the US. Iceland is among NATO members that have expressed opposition to Trump’s repeated threats to take Greenland.
While most Democrats and even some Republicans on Capitol Hill oppose the idea of taking Greenland, Rep. Randy Fine, R-Fla., has introduced legislation to make it the 51st U.S. state, even though he has said the best way to take Greenland is through volunteering. Other Republicans, including Republicans, have voiced support for closer ties with the region.
Trump also said he wants to make Canada the 51st state of the United States.
Long sparked a minor diplomatic backlash when he made controversial comments about Iceland while visiting his former colleagues on the House Floor earlier this week, prompting a response from the Icelandic Ministry of Foreign Affairs from the US Embassy in Reykjavík.
Former Rep. Billy Long was visiting his former colleagues in the House when he made the controversial comment about Iceland. (Getty Images)
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“There is no doubt that this is very serious for a small country like Iceland,” Sigmar Guðmundsson, a member of the Icelandic Parliament, told MBL. “We need to understand that all the security arguments the US makes about Greenland also apply to Iceland.”
Some Icelanders have also started a petition calling on their government to reject Long’s embassy if he is confirmed by the US Senate. The petition collected 2,000 signatures.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R.S.D.) told Politico that Long was “probably having some fun” and that “I wouldn’t read too much into it.”
