US President Donald Trump hands a pen after signing a proclamation at the Shield of the Americas Summit at Trump National Doral in Miami, Florida, March 7, 2026 to Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar.

Summary

• Lighthearted Exchange: US President Donald Trump and Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar shared a humorous moment during the “Shield of the Americas” summit in Florida.
• Name Game: Trump pointed out the similarity between the Prime Minister’s first name and that of his former political rival, former US Vice President Kamala Harris.
• Reputation Quip: Drawing laughs from the gathered regional leaders, Trump joked that he had to be careful to pronounce her name correctly because mixing them up “would ruin your reputation completely.”
• A Jab at Harris: Emphasizing the pronunciation difference (“Kam-la” versus “Kam”), Trump took a swift jab at his defeated 2025 presidential opponent by adding, “We don’t like ‘Kam’.”
• Summit Business: Following the banter, the leaders returned to the summit’s focus on regional security, with Trump handing Persad-Bissessar his pen after signing a joint anti-cartel proclamation.

 

 

By Prior Beharry

in Doral, Miami

US President Donald Trump shared a lighthearted moment with Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar on Saturday, joking about the similarity between her first name and that of his former political rival, former US Vice President Kamala Harris.

The exchange occurred during the 2026 Summit of the Americas—branded this year as the “Shield of the Americas” summit—held at Trump’s resort in Doral, Florida.

While acknowledging the regional leaders gathered for the event, Trump paused when he came to the Trinidad and Tobago leader’s name.

“Your name is very similar to a first name that we have, but fortunately it’s pronounced differently,” Trump said, drawing laughter from the attendees. “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 then recounted a brief exchange he had with Persad-Bissessar regarding the specific 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,” Trump noted, emphasizing the distinction.

He then added a jab at his former opponent: “We don’t like ‘Kam’.”

The comment was a direct reference to Harris, whom Trump defeated in the 2025 US presidential election. Harris served as the first female, first Black, and first South Asian-American vice president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. Born in California, she is the daughter of immigrants; her mother, Shyamala Gopalan, was from India, and her father, Donald J. Harris, is from Jamaica.

Beyond the banter, the summit brought together leaders from across the Western Hemisphere to discuss serious regional issues, including security, migration, and strategies aimed at reducing the influence of rival global powers in the Americas.

At the conclusion of the event, Trump signed a formal proclamation committing the gathered nations to countering cartel criminal activity, after which he handed the signing pen to Persad-Bissessar.