US President Donald Trump shared a light moment with Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar when he joked about the similarity between her first name and that of former US vice-president Kamala Harris.
During the 2026 Summit of the Americas in Florida on Saturday, Trump acknowledged the presence of regional leaders at the gathering in Doral, Florida, but paused when he came to Persad-Bissessar’s name.
“Your name is very similar to a first name that we have, but fortunately it’s pronounced differently,” Trump said. “This is Kamla as opposed to Kamala. I like Kamla better, in many ways. And I have to say thank you very much, but I have to be careful with that first name.
I don’t want to get it mixed up because it would ruin your reputation completely. ”
Trump, drawing laughter from those present, continued by recounting a brief exchange with the Trinidad and Tobago leader about the pronunciation of her name.
“I said this is the same pronunciation. She said, ‘No sir, it’s a little different.’ It’s Kam-la as opposed to Kam,” he said, emphasising the distinction.
“We don’t like ‘Kam’,” he added, in an apparent reference to Harris, whom he defeated in the 2025 US presidential election.
The exchange took place during the 2026 Summit of the Americas, branded this year as the “Shield of the Americas” summit.
Trump later handed a pen to Persad-Bissessar after signing a proclamation committing to countering cartel criminal activity.
The meeting brings together leaders from across the Western Hemisphere to discuss regional security, migration and strategies aimed at reducing the influence of rival global powers in the US.
