Former Rep. Billy Long apologized to lawmakers for a private joke he made to former House colleagues saying Iceland would be the “52nd state” with him as its governor.
Appearing Thursday before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, President Donald Trump’s pick to serve as ambassador to the Arctic nation moved to clean up a diplomatic mess of his own making.
“It was totally inappropriate,” Long told senators, describing the remark as an attempt at humor that did not land well. “I just hope that the people in Iceland will give me a second chance to make a first impression.”
Long’s private joke on the House floor, first reported by POLITICO, prompted minor diplomatic issues amid tense relations between the U.S. and Iceland as Trump seeks to take control of nearby Greenland, a Danish territory. Icelanders also launched a petition to their foreign, minister, Katrín Gunnarsdóttir to reject Long as ambassador.
“We want [Katrín Gunnarsdóttir] to reject Billy Long as ambassador to Iceland and call for the United States to nominate another man, who will show Iceland and Icelanders more respect,” the petition read, garnering thousands of signatures.
Long later apologized for the remark, telling Alaska-based news site Arctic Today that he was aware of the reaction in Iceland.
“There was nothing serious about that, I was with some people, who I hadn’t met for three years, and they were kidding about Jeff Landry being governor of Greenland and they started joking about me and if anyone took offense to it, then I apologize,” Long said.
The president has also mused about making Canada the 51st state.
Trump nominated Long to replace former Ambassador Carrin Patman. Long represented Missouri’s 7th Congressional District for six terms and briefly served as IRS commissioner last year.
