Donald Trump doesn’t need a lot of facts to back up his political agenda, and he often proves it in front of a hot mic. During a Dec. 22 national security press conference at Mar-a-Lago in West Palm Beach, Florida, he defied documented history again. The president was taking questions from repo rters when he was asked about his desire to make Greenland a U.S. territory and what Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry’s role as special envoy to self-governing territory would entail. PALM BEACH, FLORIDA – DECEMBER 24: U.S. President Donald Trump calls service members on Christmas Eve at the Mar-a-Lago resort on December 24, 2025 in Palm Beach, Florida. Trump is spending the holidays in Florida this year. (Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images) Before the reporter could get his full answer out, Trump interjected to praise the qualities he most admires about Landry, including what seemed to be credit for his involvement in the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. ‘Funniest Damn Photo of the Year’: Trump Thought These Images Were Buried — But One Awkward Oval Office Pic Has the Internet in a Chokehold “He’s a great guy; he’s a deal guy, deal-banker type guy, and we need it for national protection,” he began. “We need Greenland for national protection. They have a very small population, and, I don’t know, they say Denmark has spent no money — they have no military protection.” Greenland has been a part of the Kingdom of Denmark in 1953. The U.S. has had a military presence there since World War II, including a formal pact that established Thule Air Force base in 1951. Denmark, North America, and 30 other countries formed the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), making the U.S. an ally to Greenland. Trump: We need Greenland for national protection. They have a very small population…They say that Denmark was there 300 years ago with a boat. Well, we were there with boats too I’m sure. pic.twitter.com/NqIAs2aeO0— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) December 22, 2025 The response continued to nosedive as Trump noted, “They say that Denmark was there 300 years ago or something with a boat,” he said, trailing off as he claimed, “Well, we were there with boats too, I’m sure.” A clip of his remarks circulated on X was tagged with a community note clarifying the timeline for when each of the countries was established. It reads, “The United States did not exist until 1776, 249 years ago. Norse Vikings reached Greenland around 985 AD, and Denmark established colonies there in 1721.” The lapse in Trump’s knowledge of American history left many people feeling outraged and confused. Allow me to remind the Secretary of Defense that the only real threat to both Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark comes from Donald Trump, who has repeatedly expressed a desire to take control of Greenland. Most recently, in January 2025, he did not rule out the use of… pic.twitter.com/8ttp34p0KV— Orla Joelsen (@OJoelsen) December 8, 2025 “Every day is a WTF is he talking about day,” said an IG Threads user. A second person suggested, “He could totally be quiet and not embarrass himself everyday but nope. Here he is professing the US was showing up in boats 300 years ago.” When a third individual asked, “Does he really think this governor of Louisiana made the Louisiana Purchase happen?” They were met with a response that reads, “I wouldn’t put anything out oof the scope of trump’s demented thinking.” Trump’s hot-mic detour left many people quietly wondering how a moment like this could happen at all, especially given how he has aggressively promoted the country’s upcoming milestone. Since returning to office, Trump has repeatedly framed America’s 250th anniversary as a defining moment of his presidency. America turns 250 President Donald J. Trump on Freedom 250 and the 2026 celebration that honors our nation like never before. WATCH: pic.twitter.com/aSaPqQ0U7m— The White House (@WhiteHouse) December 18, 2025 His administration continues to roll out plans for the July 4, 2026 celebration under the banner of “Freedom 250,” a sweeping series of events that reportedly includes a UFC fight on the White House lawn and the newly announced Patriot Games — a contrast that has left some observers asking how someone so focused on the anniversary could sound so untethered from the timeline behind it. The athletic competition will see a male and female teenager from each state participate in the gantlet. Critics dubbed it the real-life Hunger Games.  ‘WTF Is He Talking About’: Trump Skates Around a Reporter’s Question Then Drifts Off Script as a Hot Mic Catches His Most Embarrassing Slip Yet ...read more read less