President of the United States Donald Trump Shared a lighter moment with Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar when he joked that her name was similar to that of the 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 meeting in Doral, Florida, but paused when he mentioned Persad-Bissesar’s name.“Your name is very similar to ours, but luckily it’s pronounced differently,” Trump said. “It’s Kamla, not Kamala. In a lot of ways, I prefer Kamla. I have to thank you very much, but I have to be careful with the name. I don’t want to mix it up because it will totally ruin your reputation.”Trump went on to recount a brief exchange with the leader of Trinidad and Tobago over the pronunciation of her name, drawing laughter from the room.“I said it was the same pronunciation. She said, ‘No sir, it’s a little different.’ It’s Kam-la, not Kam,” he said, emphasizing the difference between the two.“We don’t like ‘Kam,'” he added, 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, which this year is known as the “American Shield” summit.Trump handed Persad-Bissessar a pen after signing a proclamation pledging to crack down on criminal cartel activity.The conference brought together leaders from across the Western Hemisphere to discuss regional security, immigration and strategies aimed at reducing the influence of global rivals on the United States.
