Former Representative Billy Long has issued an apology following a joke he made about Iceland becoming the "52nd state" of the United States, a comment that sparked diplomatic concerns. Long, who has been nominated by President Donald Trump as the ambassador to Iceland, made the quip in a private conversation with House lawmakers, suggesting he could be the governor of the newly mentioned state.

This remark came shortly after President Trump expressed his previous intentions to annex Canada as the 51st state and his ongoing interest in acquiring Greenland, another Arctic territory. Trump has already appointed Jeff Landry, the current governor of Louisiana, as a special envoy to Greenland.

“I was just having a light conversation with some old friends whom I haven’t seen in years. It was all in good humor about the situation with Jeff Landry and Greenland. If my comments were offensive to anyone, I sincerely apologize,” Long explained in an interview with Arctic Today, a nonprofit news site based in Alaska.

The comment, first reported by POLITICO during Long’s visit to the House floor, drew immediate attention from Iceland’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs, which sought clarification from the U.S. Embassy in Reykjavik regarding the intentions behind Long’s statement.

The incident has also resonated poorly among NATO members, including Iceland, due to President Trump's previous statements about annexing Greenland, which is a Danish territory. The reaction in Iceland was strong enough to prompt a petition urging the Icelandic government to reject Long’s ambassadorial position.

When questioned about the incident, Senate Majority Leader John Thune commented that Long was "probably having some fun" and advised not to "read too much into that."

As the situation unfolds, it remains to be seen how this diplomatic blunder will affect Long's confirmation as ambassador and the broader U.S.-Iceland relations amidst these controversial territorial discussions initiated by President Trump.