Rubio Backstabs Trump By Contradicting Leavitt

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Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday that President Trump misspoke when he repeatedly referred to Greenland as Iceland during remarks at the World Economic Forum in Davos earlier this month, walking back an explanation previously offered by the White House.

“He meant to say Greenland,” Rubio told members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee during a hearing focused on the Trump administration’s policies toward Venezuela.

Rubio brushed off the mix-up as a verbal slip, noting that presidents have made similar mistakes before. “I think we’re all familiar with presidents having verbal stumbles,” he said, adding that past leaders have made far more frequent errors.

During his speech in Davos, Trump appeared to confuse Greenland and Iceland multiple times while discussing his interest in bringing Greenland under U.S. control and outlining his views on NATO.

At one point, Trump told the audience, “I’m helping Europe. I’m helping NATO, and until the last few days when I told them about Iceland, they loved me,” according to the official transcript.

The comments came as Trump praised America’s long-standing role in NATO while also questioning whether the alliance would come to the U.S.’s aid if it were attacked.

“With all the money we expend, with all the blood, sweat and tears, I don’t know that they’d be there for us,” Trump said. “They’re not there for us on Iceland, that I can tell you.”

He went on to claim that financial markets reacted negatively, saying, “Our stock market took the first dip yesterday because of Iceland. So Iceland has already cost us a lot of money.”

Later that day, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt denied that the president had confused the two countries, responding to a reporter on social media by suggesting Trump had been speaking metaphorically.

Her explanation was quickly challenged by users, who added a community note disputing the claim and stating that the president’s remarks clearly referenced the wrong country.

During his Davos appearance, Trump also softened his stance on Greenland, saying the United States would not use military force to acquire the territory, a reversal from earlier comments.

He additionally backed away from proposed tariffs on European allies that were intended to pressure Denmark, saying he had reached a preliminary framework with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte focused on security cooperation and mineral access rather than sovereignty.