Irish Taoiseach Micheal Martin presented US President Donald Trump with a crystal bowl of shamrock at the White House on St Patrick's Day, calling for cooperation between Europe and the United States on trade and international security. The ceremony marked the culmination of annual US-Irish engagements for Ireland's national day.
In a 40-minute Oval Office meeting, Martin urged “as few barriers and tariffs as possible” on trade and highlighted Ireland's history as a lesson in negotiation and de-escalation. He defended British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, telling Trump that Starmer had “done a lot to reset the Irish-British relationship” and that Trump had the capacity to engage with European leaders.
Trump criticised European allies for reluctance to support US-Israeli operations against Iran, saying the world “should be thankful” for the intervention. He accused Nato allies of not doing enough and claimed Starmer made a “big mistake” on Iran. Martin responded that European leaders and the US administration could work towards a “landing zone” for peace in the Middle East.
When asked about Irish President Catherine Connolly's criticism of US-Israeli attacks, Trump said, “He's lucky I exist,” and argued the strikes prevented a nuclear war that could have affected Europe. Martin did not directly challenge Trump on the Middle East, drawing criticism from opposition politicians including People Before Profit, Sinn Fein, and the Social Democrats.
Trump pledged that energy prices would “drop like a rock” after the war and said he would try to visit Ireland in autumn for the Irish Open at his Doonbeg golf course. Martin also urged cooperation on immigration, saying Europe had “much stronger mechanisms” for legal migration and expressing hope for a future legal pathway between the US and Ireland.
