President Donald Trump appeared to forget Usha Vance’s name while talking about her controversial trip to Greenland. The upcoming trip will see Usha and US national security adviser, Mike Waltz, visit the territory on March 27. The decision has made Greenlanders angry, with many calling it a “demonstration of power.”
Speaking to the press at the White House, Trump praised Usha, Vice President JD Vance’s wife, but seemed to forget the second lady’s name. The President paused for a second and then referred to Usha as “the wife of our great Vice President.” Before appearing to forget Usha’s name, Trump claimed he has “great respect for her.”
Trump then went on to talk about the work Usha has been doing since Vance was sworn in as the Vice President of the US. Trump called her a “very brilliant woman” and a “very nice woman,” adding that “she loves the concept of Greenland.”
“I thought it would be a great… I have great respect for, er, the wife of our first… of our great Vice President. I think she’s doing a… she’s a brilliant woman. She’s, er, a very nice woman and she loves the concept of Greenland,” Trump said.
Were Usha Vance and Mike Waltz ‘invited’ to Greenland?
Trump told reporters that Usha and Mike have been “invited” to the country. However, Greenland’s government strongly dismissed the claim in a social media post.
“Just for the record, Naalakkersuisut, the government of Greenland, has not extended any invitations for any visits, neither private nor official,” the government said.
Usha’s tour comes after Trump’s repeated comments about the US wanting to take ownership of Greenland, which is an autonomous territory in the Kingdom of Denmark. Although Trump claimed Usha and Mike’s trip is one of “friendship”, Greenland’s Prime Minister did not agree.
“So they’re going there and that’s purely friendship … People from Greenland are asking us to go. We have many, many requests from many, many people – some officials, too,” Trump reportedly said.
However, Greenland’s PM Múte B. Egede told local media, “We are now at a level where it can in no way be characterised as a harmless visit from a politician’s wife. What is the national security adviser doing in Greenland? The only purpose is to demonstrate power over us.”
