It was perhaps not the welcome Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin had hoped for on an annual U.S. trip to mark St Patrick's Day -- a dressing down from Donald Trump on trade and tariffs.
"We do have a massive deficit with Ireland," the U.S. president said in answer to the very first question he faced with Martin in the Oval Office, before going on to lambast the European Union in general.
Trump promised to respond to tariffs imposed by the EU in retaliation for new U.S. levies on steel and aluminum -- an economic shockwave that could hit Ireland too.
Certainly the encounter with the Irish taoiseach, or premier, was calmer than the scene less than two weeks ago when Trump and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy got into a blazing row, also in the Oval Office.
There was even a light-hearted moment as Trump ribbed Vice President JD Vance about the green-and-white shamrock socks he wore to honor Martin's trip, a tradition by the Irish leader ahead of St Patrick's Day on March 17.
But despite the pleasantries during the visit, the 78-year-old president had a long list of grievances about the Emerald Isle.
Trump said he had "great respect" for Ireland but in the same breath accused it of luring pharma and tech giants to its shores with low taxes.
"This is this beautiful island of five million people, it's got the entire U.S. pharmaceutical industry in its grip," Trump said.
The United States is Ireland's single biggest export market for pharmaceutical drugs and ingredients, mostly manufactured by American companies like Pfizer, Eli Lilly, and Johnson & Johnson.
"I'm not upset with you. I think I respect what you've done," said Trump. "But the United States shouldn't have let it happen."
The U.S. president complained about "tremendously bad" treatment of tech titan Apple, which was ordered by Brussels to pay a multi-billion-euro tax settlement to Ireland.
It then got personal, as it often seems to with Trump, as the billionaire former property developer complained about EU red tape holding up the expansion of a resort he owns in Ireland.
Trump finally returned to one of his favorite themes as he launched a broader attack on the 27-nation European Union.
"The EU was set up in order to take advantage of the United States," Trump said.
Trump also doubled down on his threats to impose reciprocal tariffs on the European Union in April. "So whatever they charge us, we're charging them."
When Martin got a word in edgeways, he tried to strike a diplomatic tone.
"It's a two-way street," Martin said, adding that Ireland was stepping up investments in the United States. "It's a relationship that we can develop and that will endure into the future."
Trump agreed -- and then went back to speaking about the deficit.
The Irish and U.S. leaders also ended up talking past each other on the subject of the Israel-Hamas war.
Non-NATO member Ireland is one of the most pro-Palestinian countries in Europe, in stark contrast to Trump who has called for the U.S. to "take over" Gaza.
"It's been our view that a two-state solution is the ideal," Martin said.
© 2025 AFP
13 Comments
TaiwanIsNotChina
Just draining the swamp and filling the sewer.
Underworld
Nope, it was not. The United States encouraged the formation of the EEC, the forerunner of the EU.
wallace
Trump-Vance attack dog tactics are like those used with Zelenskyy. Ireland is a very small country with only a population of 5 million.
Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin should have hit them on their heads with his shillelagh
bass4funk
Hmmm…Not sure where the humor was in that statement
wallace
Trump doubles down on his Gaza claims that Palestinians would be removed, but now they will not.
plasticmonkey
Large corporations should not have to pay any taxes. Taxes are for the little people.
Oh, wait.
So unfair. Red tape is for the little people applying for food stamps and Medicaid.
A totally ahistorical view. Pure BS.
HopeSpringsEternal
DJT's straight-shooter = Lots of Ireland's US pharma business coming back to US, as that's just the way it works, Ireland has "no cards".
Most Americans don't want to rely on foreign production for critical medicines and like DJT's policies to reshore.
plasticmonkey
Trump should demand Ireland pay reparations for sending us so many illegal immigrants in the 19th century. So unfair.
Otherwise 500% tariffs on Guinness and cheddar cheese!
TokyoLiving
Pathetic narcissistic little Duce clown..
HopeSpringsEternal
No question that DJT is not just going along with the status quo, because Americans voted for his disruption and did not want another MIA President like Biden.
Countries need to understand that DJT means business
Chyobaka
TRUMP does mean business….BAD BUSINESS!
HopeSpringsEternal
Often WORST business is the status quo, Trump's clearly most disruptive President in modern history and many both inside and outside the US far prefer the status quo.
DJT elected to fundamentally change status quo = and most US voters want him to do so due to Biden failures.
The Irish PM clearly likes and respects DJT
patkim
This is getting to be a habit with Trump; blast our allies and be cozy with our enemies. I'm sure if Putin came to the White House, he'd say only nice things about him and maybe even give him a foot massage or something like that.
And to do it in front of the cameras?