President Donald Trump welcomed Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin on Wednesday for the annual St. Patrick’s Day celebration on the White Home, the place he added Eire to the checklist of nations he says are profiting from the US.
Martin countered by noting Eire’s contributions to the U.S.
It was Trump’s first Oval Workplace assembly with a overseas chief since his recent sit-down with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, which morphed right into a shouting match as they jousted over ending Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The session ended with Zelenskyy being requested to go away the White Home.
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Martin, who supplied solely light pushback to a few of Trump’s feedback, is about to return to the White Home within the night to current Trump with a bowl of shamrocks at an early St. Patrick’s Day celebration. The duo additionally attended an annual luncheon on the Capitol.
The president’s banter in the course of the Oval Workplace assembly additionally touched on Vice President JD Vance’s shamrock-themed socks and Trump nemesis Rosie O’Donnell ‘s latest transfer to Eire.
The Republican president has been sparring with U.S. allies and adversaries alike over commerce, slapping double-digit tariffs on imports from international locations from Canada to China and in between. Through the look with Martin, Trump repeated his declare that the European Union was created simply to stay it to the U.S.
Requested if Eire, a member of the EU, was taking benefit, too, Trump mentioned, “after all they’re. I’ve nice respect for Eire and what they did and they need to have accomplished simply what they did, however the US shouldn’t have let it occur.” He was referring to the focus of U.S. pharmaceutical corporations in Eire, because of the nation’s tax insurance policies.
“We had silly leaders. We had leaders that didn’t have a clue or let’s say they weren’t businesspeople, however they didn’t have a clue what was occurring and hastily Eire has our pharmaceutical corporations,” Trump mentioned.
Martin countered that the commerce relationship is “a two-way road,” including that Eire’s two largest airways purchase extra aircrafts from Boeing Co. than anybody else outdoors of America.
Greater than 700 Irish corporations are additionally primarily based in America, creating hundreds of jobs, Martin mentioned. “That is slightly recognized truth that does not flip up within the statistics,” he added.
“I perceive the place you are coming from, absolutely,” Martin advised Trump, “however I believe it is a relationship that we are able to develop and that may endure into the longer term.”
At one level, Trump grew to become distracted as he talked about inflation in the U.S.
“By the best way, I like these socks. What’s with these socks? I’m making an attempt to remain centered, however I’m very impressed with the VP’s socks,” Trump mentioned, drawing chuckles from others within the room.
Vance had worn socks patterned with small inexperienced shamrocks as a nod to Martin’s go to.
When a reporter requested Martin why his nation would let O’Donnell transfer there, Trump jumped on the opening.
“I like that query,” the president mentioned, including that Martin was ”higher off not understanding” about O’Donnell.
O’Donnell, a comic and former talk-show host, and Trump have feuded for years. O’Donnell, who’s homosexual, just lately introduced that she moved to Eire in January, citing an absence of equal rights in America.
Trump discovered a strategy to sneak his penchant for skilled combating into the discourse.
Because the assembly wrapped, Trump was requested to call his favourite particular person in Eire. Trump referred to Irish combined martial arts fighter Conor McGregor, partly as a result of “he is acquired one of the best tattoos I’ve ever seen.”
Trump is well-known for his support of Ultimate Fighting Championship and attended bouts in the course of the 2024 presidential marketing campaign.
He famous that Martin’s father was an acclaimed boxer, however motioned to Martin saying, “You’re so clean,” suggesting he didn’t seem like a boxer.
“I’m a fairly good defensive boxer,” Martin joked in reply.
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Related Press author Tom Beaumont in Des Moines, Iowa, contributed to this report.
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