Trump's map puts Iceland in the USA but Reykjavik isn't amused
Copyright AP Photo
Washington's relationship with Iceland has been tested by Trump's Greenland threats, his Canada trade dispute, and a social media map placing Iceland within US borders.Iceland's government has lodged a formal protest with the United States after Donald Trump shared a social media map appearing to fold the country into US territory.
According to a ministry statement, Foreign Minister Thorgerdur Katrin Gunnarsdottir called in the US ambassador to deliver a firm objection, telling the envoy the map was simply not acceptable.
US President Donald Trump posted this map on his Truth Social account. Truth Social @realDonaldTrump
The image, posted Monday, showed a redrawn North America with Canada, Greenland, Mexico and Iceland all shaded in stars and stripes and captioned as a single "United States of America" — with no caption or context explaining the intent behind it.
Just days earlier, Icelanders had rejected a government push to resume EU accession talks in an August 29 referendum, a vote held partly in the shadow of Trump's own designs on Greenland.
The incident lands awkwardly given how central the US is to Icelandic security. Iceland has had no armed forces of its own since becoming independent in 1944, and instead leans on a NATO founding membership and a defence pact with Washington dating to 1951 to cover its protection.
Reykjavik has had reason to be uneasy about Washington's intentions in the region already. Trump has floated annexing Greenland — an autonomous Danish territory barely 300 kilometres from Iceland's shores — and his tariff standoff with Canada has added to a sense that traditionally close US partners in the North Atlantic can't take the relationship for granted.
Iceland's government has lodged a formal protest with the United States after Donald Trump shared a social media map appearing to fold the country into US territory.
According to a ministry statement, Foreign Minister Thorgerdur Katrin Gunnarsdottir called in the US ambassador to deliver a firm objection, telling the envoy the map was simply not acceptable.
US President Donald Trump posted this map on his Truth Social account. Truth Social @realDonaldTrump
The image, posted Monday, showed a redrawn North America with Canada, Greenland, Mexico and Iceland all shaded in stars and stripes and captioned as a single "United States of America" — with no caption or context explaining the intent behind it.
Just days earlier, Icelanders had rejected a government push to resume EU accession talks in an August 29 referendum, a vote held partly in the shadow of Trump's own designs on Greenland.
The incident lands awkwardly given how central the US is to Icelandic security. Iceland has had no armed forces of its own since becoming independent in 1944, and instead leans on a NATO founding membership and a defence pact with Washington dating to 1951 to cover its protection.
Reykjavik has had reason to be uneasy about Washington's intentions in the region already. Trump has floated annexing Greenland — an autonomous Danish territory barely 300 kilometres from Iceland's shores — and his tariff standoff with Canada has added to a sense that traditionally close US partners in the North Atlantic can't take the relationship for granted.
Donald Trump as Green Lantern? Why the Trump administration needs to stop (mis)using pop culture references
If you reference a pop culture touchstone in an AI-generated clip, it's probably best you understand even the most basic tenet of the source material.
Another day, another AI slop rampage from Donald Trump, whose latest Truth Social posting spree has left the internet saying one thing in unison: Enough.
Trump is no stranger to bulk posting AI-generated imagery as part of what has been referred to as “memetic warfare” - a tactic which sees him and his administration flood the zone when it comes to AI-generated imagery in order to appeal to his base and beyond. But the increasing frequency and quantity of the posts (as well as the very bizarre content) is leading people to seriously wonder about the mental health of the president, the security of the modern world, and the Trump administration's loose grasp on pop culture references.
One social media user argued: “Something is very wrong with the president. And yet, still has the codes to our nuclear arsenal and is the single person who can order their use.” Another pointed out: “The man with the nuclear codes. You'd be concerned if these were being posted by an elderly relative.”
In his latest posting spree, Trump renamed New Mexico as “New America”, shared an image of his silhouette over Iran, proposed new uniforms for the United States Space Force (which gave off Starship Troopers fascist chic), and even declared the Moon as US territory...
Yes, really. He declared the celestial body “is ours”.
It goes without saying that the Moon is in fact not owned by anyone, as stated by Article II of the Outer Space Treaty of 1967. Still, the internet was quick to point out that Trump should have more pressing priorities...
“Maybe get control of the Strait of Hormuz before you start on the moon,” one social media user wrote, while another posted: “Reporter: What do you say to Americans who want affordable food, gas, healthcare, and no war? Trump: The Moon is Ours.”
“WTF? Honestly this dude is losing his mind,” another commented.
One AI-generated image has angered comic book and film fans – and not for the first time.
Trump has previously appropriated several pop culture touchstones, including Superman, Hannibal Lecter, Jedis and Spider-Man, and the references have backfired every time – not only by sparking the ire of the original creators and fans, but also for how these hijacked cultural winks display a lack of appreciation or understanding when it comes to the references themselves.
The latest is an image of Trump as a DC Universe superhero. He could be seen wearing a Green Lantern Ring and appearing to build a green border wall with the ring’s power. Then, there’s a holographic “American manufacturing” cityscape that appears, before green military aircrafts fly over his head.
You couldn’t make this up.
The clip was posted by the official White House account, which captioned the clip by reappropriating the oath spoken by heroes in the Green Lantern Corps: “In brightest day, in blackest night, no evil shall escape my sight. Let those who worship evil's might beware my power... Green Lantern's light!”
Beyond the fact that “America is actually being run by a 12 year old on iPad privileges,” as one person shrewdly commented on X, as well as the very serious real-world issues Americans are facing (“Day 190 of the Iran War,” someone pointed out online, while another argued: “Anything to distract from gas prices”), Trump’s White House shows once again that it has misused the cultural reference and that the ironic implications clearly escape them.
Much like the backfiring Jedi image (red lightsabers are for the baddies, Donald), the glaring irony of Trump portraying himself as Superman (technically an illegal immigrant on Planet Earth) and how Spider-Man would actually be fighting ICE, not supporting them, the Green Lantern reference misfires.
You see, the Green Lantern Corps are an intergalactic peacekeeping force that protects the entire universe without borders. Hijacking this character to symbolize an "America First" agenda and using the ring to build physical border walls is contradictory to the core principles of the fictional character.
Plus, all card-carrying nerds will rush to correct this clip, as Trump would not be a Green Lantern, which imbues hope. A more accurate colour would be Yellow, for the love of chaos, or Orange - chiefly due to his greed and hunger for power.
In addition to the thesis that the Trump administration might be culturally illiterate is the fact that using artificial intelligence to display supreme strength and dominance only highlights imaginary power. Not true might that would decry from real-world policy.
Understand your references, or they risk rebounding and making you look like cosmic embarrassments.
“In brightest day, in blackest night, no backfiring AI shall escape from my device during outrunning iPad privileges.”
Granted, it doesn’t have the same ring to it, but lessons need to be learned.
What's in a name? Trump suggests renaming New Mexico state 'New America'
Trump last week suggested renaming the Strait of Hormuz as "Trump Strait" as the war with Iran continues, then hours later implied he was not serious about the plan.
US President Donald Trump's name-changing spree found an unlikely new target earlier this week when he suggested the state of New Mexico could be renamed "New America."
His proposal, which was immediately dismissed by the state's governor, comes days after he signed an order to rename Lake Ontario as "Lake America" in the middle of a trade war with neighbouring Canada.
"Many people suggested changing the name of New Mexico...to NEW AMERICA," the Republican president posted on social media.
"So much more prestigious and beautiful for the people of that potentially incredible State. Wow, I Love It!!!"
The White House reposted an image showing the Mexico part of the state's name crossed out and replaced with "America."
Trump’s Truth Social account also posted several such maps showing the name change.
Some US media reports said the idea originated as an internet hoax.
State governor Michelle Lujan Grisham told Fox News that the name "isn't up for debate, it's been ours since before the United States existed."
She said the president wanted to "distract Americans" from issues such as soaring gas prices.
Trump last week suggested renaming the Strait of Hormuz as "Trump Strait" as the war with Iran continues, then hours later implied he was not serious about the plan.
He renamed the Gulf of Mexico as the "Gulf of America" on his first day back in the White House in 2025 in a move rejected by Mexico.
Canada has also rejected the attempt to rename Lake Ontario.
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