Trump’s Iceland ambassador nominee jokes country will become a U.S. state

Update: Billy Long told Arctic Today Thursday that he apologizes for his comments. 

Former U.S. Rep. Billy Long, President Donald Trump’s nominee for ambassador to Iceland, joked with lawmakers this week that Iceland will become the 52nd U.S. state (it remains unclear, which country Long suggests will become the 51st state) and that he would serve as its governor.

According to Politico, Long made the remark on the House floor Tuesday night, prompting raised eyebrows as the Trump administration faces growing scrutiny over its rhetoric and posture toward Arctic and North Atlantic countries.

The comment comes amid heightened sensitivity in the region following renewed U.S. attention toward Greenland and public pushback from Danish and Greenlandic leaders against any suggestion of U.S. acquisition or control. This includes a high-stakes meeting between U.S., Danish and Greenlandic officials in Washington. While Long’s remark appeared to be made in jest, it echoed language that has unsettled U.S. allies in recent months.

Long, a former Republican congressman from Missouri, briefly served as acting commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for about a month last summer. He was nominated by Trump to serve as ambassador to Iceland earlier this year the nomination, however, has not yet been confirmed by the Senate.