Reykjavik's government summoned the U.S. ambassador on Monday following a social media post by President Trump that depicted Iceland draped in the American flag, a move that officials branded as offensive to national sovereignty.
The image, shared on Truth Social, showed the U.S. flag covering not only North America but also Greenland, Iceland, Central America, and the Caribbean, with the label “United States of America.” Trump offered no accompanying explanation for the post, which follows his repeated interest in acquiring Greenland and previous remarks about absorbing Canada.
Icelandic Foreign Minister Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir summoned Ambassador Billy Long, a former Missouri congressman and IRS commissioner who took up the post in May, to convey the government's displeasure. According to Icelandic public broadcaster RUV, the foreign ministry told Long that the post was “completely inappropriate.”
This is not the first diplomatic friction involving Long. He previously apologized for joking about Iceland becoming the 52nd U.S. state with himself as governor, a remark that ignited widespread anger among Icelanders and led to a petition opposing his appointment.
At a press conference on Tuesday, Gunnarsdóttir said the president's post was “absurd” and insulting to Icelanders, as well as to citizens of Greenland and Canada. “There is nothing funny or normal about making fun of the sovereignty of states,” she said. “If this is supposed to be a joke, then it is a bad joke.”
While Trump has not formally campaigned to acquire Iceland, his push to purchase Greenland, a semiautonomous territory of Denmark, has heightened tensions. Greenlandic leaders have repeatedly insisted the island is not for sale and has no desire to join the United States.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, speaking Monday during a visit to Nuuk, Greenland's capital, reinforced that stance. “The Greenlandic government and the Greenlandic people have said again and again that they do not want to be American,” she told Danish news agency Ritzau. “I hope no one is in any doubt about that, either in the United States or the rest of the world.”
The incident adds to a pattern of diplomatic flare-ups triggered by Trump's expansionist rhetoric. His map stunt has drawn criticism from leaders across the region, and New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham also rebuked the imagery. Meanwhile, Trump's trade threats, including tariff deadlines tied to the Canadian dollar, continue to strain relations with key allies.
Analysts suggest the repeated provocations may be aimed at rallying his domestic base ahead of the 2026 midterms, but they carry real diplomatic costs. Iceland, a NATO ally, has historically maintained close ties with Washington, yet this episode underscores the fragility of that relationship under the current administration.
