Iceland Doesn’t Find Trump Nominee Amusing

Billy Long has said a remark he made about Iceland was intended as a joke, but it has sparked backlash in the Nordic nation. A petition in Iceland has gathered thousands of signatures after reports that Long, President Trump’s nominee for U.S. ambassador to Iceland, joked that the country could become the 52nd U.S. state and that he would serve as its governor.

According to Politico, the comment was made on the floor of the House the night before senior U.S., Danish, and Greenlandic officials met to discuss President Trump’s stated interest in Greenland. The Guardian first reported on the reaction in Iceland. Long previously served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Iceland’s Foreign Ministry quickly contacted the U.S. Embassy in Reykjavík seeking clarification about the remark. Organizers of the petition called on Foreign Minister Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir to reject Long’s nomination, describing the comment as offensive to a country that “has had to fight for its freedom while remaining a close U.S. ally.” Within hours, more than 3,200 people had signed the petition, urging Washington to appoint an ambassador who shows “greater respect” for Iceland’s sovereignty.

Long told Arctic Today that the comment was made during a private conversation and stemmed from joking banter about Jeff Landry, President Trump’s special envoy to Greenland, hypothetically becoming a “governor” there. “There was nothing serious about that,” Long said. He added that he apologizes if anyone was offended and said he looks forward to working with Icelanders.

Icelandic lawmaker Sigmar Guðmundsson said the remark was “not a particularly funny joke,” especially given the timing. He noted that U.S. security concerns raised about Greenland also apply to Iceland, according to The Hill. Senate Majority Leader John Thune described the comment as Long “probably having some fun,” Politico reported.

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