Exclusive By: Kanwal Abidi.
Washington D.C. President Trump met with the Irish PM Martin on Tuesday 17th March, to mark the St. Patrick’s
Day celebrations. This is the day which reinforces “the bond between the U.S. and Ireland as truly special and enduring” said Secretary Rubio in a statement issued by the U.S. State Department. Further, he acknowledged Ireland’s contributions to American independence, from “Charles Thomson’s design of the Great Seal of the United States to the nine signers of the Declaration of Independence of Irish origin.” As 2026 marks – “America’s 250th anniversary, we look forward to deepen our partnership to meet the opportunities and challenges of
today’s world” added Secretary Rubio.
For Irish PM Martin, the day started with VP JD Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance hosting him and his wife, Mary O’Shea for a St. Patrick’s Day breakfast, which has now become an annual tradition for the U.S. and Irish governments.
After the traditional breakfast, Irish PM Martin proceeded to the White House, where he entered through the side entrance with his motorcade, reaching the West Wing via the Executive Office Building complex.
President Trump welcomed the Taoiseach Irish PM and said that they would be discussing a lot of different subjects including trade. During the meeting, Trump said the “tremendous trade relationship” between Ireland and the U.S. will expand “very quickly.”
However, the meeting came on a day dominated by the resignation of U.S. counterterrorism chief Joe Kent over the Iran war. Trump called the counterterrorism official who resigned in protest over the Iran war a “very nice guy” but “he was very weak on security.” Further, Trump said “It’s a good thing that he’s out. Iran was a tremendous threat.”
As President Trump answered questions from the White House reporters, Trump criticized Europe’s immigration policies. “I love Europe,” Trump said. “I have spent a lot of time in Europe.
It’s a different place. Bad – bad things have happened to Europe, very bad things and you better do something about immigration.”
On this, Martin responded by saying that Ireland’s “population is growing, but in a very positive
way, our economy is going well because we are attracting a lot of people from Europe to work
legally in Ireland.”
Martin laid ground lines that he thought “sometimes Europe gets characterized wrongly in terms
of being overrun. It's much more robust now, a much stronger mechanism is in place to facilitate
legal migration.”
The Trump – Martin Oval bilateral meeting came at the time, when the Trump administration was exerting efforts to seek international support to secure the Strait of Hormuz. On this request, NATO allies did not respond – therefore, Trump said “I think NATO is making a very foolish mistake,” and said “I wonder whether or not NATO would ever be there for us. So this is a great test for NATO allies.”
Trump added that “we don't need any help from NATO, actually as we have wiped out Iran’s navy, wiped out their military and their air force is now decimated. Their radar is entirely gone.” He justified the attack on Iran by saying that “they would have had a nuclear weapon within one month, of when we had the B-2 bombers bomb the nuclear potential.”
He went on to say “nobody wants Iran to have a nuclear weapon, because these people are crazy, vicious and violent.”
Trump also spoke to reporters that the China trip would be delayed for officially pushing the major summit back because of the ongoing war. “We’re resetting the meeting with President Xi and it looks like it will take place in about five to six weeks.” Trump said “We’re working with China. They are fine with it.”
In the bilateral meeting, the Irish PM made a deliberate attempt to keep his tone low and defend the transatlantic relationship, stressing its strategic value and the need for continued engagement. Martin emphasized that European countries share the concern about Iran, noting that “you cannot have a rogue state with a nuclear weapon,” and underlined that “all European countries” have recognized Iran as a sponsor of terrorism. On a parallel front, he framed Europe's position around de-escalation and diplomacy, arguing that “what we want is a peaceful resolution of conflict” and that efforts should be focused on whether “we can bring about peace” as ultimately all conflicts come to an end and we have to work towards it.
After the Oval office meeting, President Trump proceeded to the Rayburn Room at the Capitol Hill for the Friends of Ireland luncheon. Before Trump took to the podium, Speaker Mike Johnson joked about his family’s Italian roots but noted that his wife is Irish.
The luncheon was set up with a few round tables of 10, with the menu boasting of short ribs and cod. Johnson noted a lot of Irish politicians in U.S. history, with name checks of Kennedy, Reagan and Tip O’Neil, the latter two started this tradition.
After this, Speaker Johnson introduced President Trump who started off with a joke that he was surprised to learn of Johnson’s Italian heritage. “I always thought he was a super WASP,” Trump said and the Speaker and guests in the Rayburn Room laughed. He offered praise for Ireland and the many emigres who came to the U.S. by saying that “the Irish did not come to America, they helped found America and are incredible people.”
President Trump then reverted to Iran having been “two weeks” away from having a nuclear weapon, if not for the B-2 bombs eight months ago. He then said that the Iran war will be over “in a couple of weeks” and talked of the Iran war as “a little excursion”. It will not last longer, as “we are ahead of schedule,” said Trump to assure Speaker Johnson that it would save money. “Our biggest problem, we don’t know who to deal with” in Iran because all leaders “they are all gone.”
The Irish PM Martin underscored the economic ties between the U.S. and Ireland, as around 200,000 U.S. employees worked at nearly 800 Irish owned companies in every state. Martin noted that Ireland is the 5th biggest foreign investor in the U.S.
After the Friends of Ireland luncheon, Trump proceeded back to the White House, where later in the evening, Martin presented ‘a bowl of shamrocks’ to Trump at the St. Patrick’s Day reception in the East Room.
At the Shamrock bowl presentation event, Trump spoke for a while, in which he noted that “he spent the whole day with the Irish” which he said was “better than spending it with Iranians.”
He once again reiterated Iran military operations as an “excursion”. He talked about the East Wing renovation, DHS nominee Senator Markwayne Mullin and the SAVE America Act etc.
Trump was followed in speech by Martin where he spoke for few minutes and largely covered the same topics as earlier the day. On foreign policy, the Taoiseach called for diplomacy and de-escalation. He said that “dialogue and negotiation, not escalation, are the ways to make progress,” adding that leaders must work towards peace in the Middle East.
Irish PM Martin accompanied by his wife, Mary who wore a green dress – then presented the “bowl of shamrock” to President Trump, a tradition dating back to the 1950s, in memory of all the brave Irish men and Irish women who came to U.S. and who believed in the “American promise of life, liberty and pursuit of happiness.”
Martin then thanked Trump, by saying “Thank you for your friendship with Ireland, a country who you know well.” He concluded his remarks by saying that “it is hard to imagine the United States without the contribution of the Irish.”
