After weeks of speculation and rumors, Taoiseach Micheál Martin's St. Patrick’s Day visit to the White House is done and dusted.
It was a busy day for the Taoiseach on Wednesday - he met with US Vice President JD Vance for breakfast, then met with US President Donald Trump in the White House, then attended the Friends of Ireland luncheon, and concluded the day with the traditional bowl of shamrock presentation to Trump in the White House.
Following the dramatic meeting between Trump and President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the White House less than two weeks ago, there was concern about how Trump would receive the Taoiseach and, in turn, how the Taoiseach would navigate Trump.
The engagements, however, overall went smoothly, save for a few moments during the bilateral meeting in the White House.
During the Oval Office meeting, Trump - as he has done previously - railed against the European Union, which Ireland is a (proud) member of.
He also commented on the number of US pharmaceutical companies that have set up in Ireland, but admitted he couldn't blame Ireland for that, instead placing the blame on previous "stupid" American leadership.
US President Donald Trump has said that Ireland "took our pharmaceutical and other companies away through taxation" | Follow live: https://t.co/CiPaMIhRaB pic.twitter.com/zuZ4pbFDwo
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) March 12, 2025
During the meeting, Trump was asked by a reporter to offer some advice on Ireland's housing crisis, setting the stage for a regrettable reaction from the Taoiseach.
The President replied: "You know why they have a housing crisis? Because they're doing so well. They can't produce houses fast enough. That's a good problem, not a bad problem."
Laughing, the Taoiseach said: "That's a pretty good answer, President."
"Everybody should have that problem, that's okay," Trump added, "I know this gentleman [Martin], he'll get it solved."
The Taoiseach's laughing reaction was largely regarded as tone deaf given the housing crisis and continually rising homelessness figures in Ireland.
US President Donald Trump has said that Ireland has a housing crisis because “they're doing so well, they can't produce houses fast enough” | Follow live: https://t.co/b4GHzWPA9b pic.twitter.com/W6DGOZXcOz
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) March 12, 2025
Meanwhile, the Taoiseach, who faced down calls to boycott his visit to the US due to the US response in Gaza, raised some eyebrows with his repeated praise of Trump's "pursuit of peace" since being in office.
Speaking during the breakfast at the Vice President's residence, the Taoiseach said: "We are ready to play our part in supporting work to end conflict and to secure peace in Ukraine, or in the Middle East, or wherever, and we welcome very much the unrelenting focus and effort that President Trump and his administration has brought to the task, to this task from his very first days in office, and we welcome the progress that has clearly been made."
The Taoiseach repeated similar sentiments throughout his engagements throughout the day.
"During the first steps of the peace process in Ireland, people criticised. But we kept going.
I want to pay tribute to President Trump for his focus on peace initiatives."
An Taoiseach @MichealMartinTD pic.twitter.com/xcjWVLIO6v
— Fianna Fáil (@fiannafailparty) March 12, 2025
The remarks felt over the top considering Trump said he would like to see the people of Gaza "resettled" in other countries and that the "US will take over Gaza," as well as his description of Zelenskyy as a "dictator."
The glowing praise begs the question if the Taoiseach was just playing a deft game of diplomacy, praising Trump in hopes of getting Ireland on the President's sweet side.
Overall, though, Trump seems to have received the Irish premier warmly.
"We’re gathered to celebrate the deep and abiding ties of history, family, and friendship that bind together Ireland and the United States of America.
America has truly been blessed by the courage and unstoppable spirit of the Irish." –President Donald J. Trump 🇺🇸🇮🇪… pic.twitter.com/WLGKENX5Qx
— President Donald J. Trump (@POTUS) March 13, 2025
Comments