Trump attacks on European allies dash hopes for Irish visit

Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin visited the White House on Wednesday carrying hopes of breaking through to President Donald Trump as European leaders look to tame an escalating trade war and close a widening fissure over aid to Ukraine.

But after a brief exchange of personal pleasantries in the Oval Office, Trump proceeded to bash Ireland and the European Union for tariffs and tax policies that he blamed for hurting the United States – an on-camera dressing-down that gave Martin little opportunity for a confidential appeal, nor much chance to get a word in edgewise.

“I’m not upset with you. I think I respect what you’ve done,” Trump told Martin, after complaining of American companies moving operations to Ireland to take advantage of lower corporate taxes. “I’d love to have them back but he’ll be fighting me.”

“If I could,” Martin interjected, “it’s a two-way street. We are investing a lot more in America now,” he said, naming Dublin-based Ryanair buying Boeing planes.

“I’ll trade positions,” Trump laughed. “There’s a massive deficit.”

Later, at a White House ceremony in which Martin presented Trump with a bowl of shamrock – an annual tradition since 1952 – Martin quoted Trump to Trump, one way potentially to the U.S. leader’s heart.

“Mr. President, as you said on an earlier Saint Patrick’s Day, and I quote, ‘Through trial and triumph, ups and downs, thick and thin, the extraordinary Irish people have stood by America’s side, and America will always stand by theirs,’ ” Martin said.

The meeting never rivaled the tensions on display with Trump’s Feb. 28 public rebuke of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. But it was not the summit many Europeans were hoping for.

Ahead of the meeting, European leaders strategized about how Martin could turn up his Irish charm to blunt Europe and Kyiv from Trump’s sharpest anger. Mindful that a one-on-one meeting with the president now has the power to sway billions of dollars in tariffs, open or close the tap of military aid and bend his territorial ambitions, top officials are seeking to choreograph the moments.

European leaders were especially hopeful that Martin could put a positive spin on transatlantic trade and the need for continued U.S. support for Ukraine. The Irish leader also sat last week with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who last month had a successful – and highly rehearsed – encounter with Trump that included the British leader unveiling a letter from King Charles III with a flourish. Martin took some pointers from Starmer about how to manage the meeting, a senior European official said, speaking like others on the condition of anonymity to talk frankly about sensitive diplomatic conversations.

Top E.U. officials strategized with the Irish as well, suggesting on trade issues that Martin note the two blocs’ entwined economic dependence, using numbers and charts to hammer the point, the official said. European officials have resigned themselves to being hit with U.S. tariffs of some form, with the goal being now to minimize them and move on, two senior European officials said.

On Ukraine, Europeans talked with Martin about noting the broader issues at stake: Russia attacked Kyiv; Ukraine is fighting in self-defense; a bad peace deal would allow Russia to rebuild its military and attack again; and a bad outcome will lead to a Russian threat to all of Europe, one of the officials said.

But Martin’s public schedule indicated he found minimal opportunity for a quiet word with Trump. He arrived at the White House at 11:34 a.m. to ceremonially enter the North Portico in front of the cameras. Within 12 minutes, he was in the Oval Office with Trump taking questions from reporters, after having had just that stretch to speak privately with the president.

By 11:49, in response to the first question, Trump was criticizing Ireland for attracting U.S. companies. He went on to threaten more tariffs against the European Union, which on Wednesday announced its own retaliatory measures on U.S. goods responding to Trump’s trade barriers.

On Ukraine, Trump urged Russia to follow with agreeing to a ceasefire and said he was sending representatives to negotiate. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt elaborated that national security adviser Michael Waltz spoke with his Russian counterpart and special envoy Steve Witkoff would visit Moscow this week.

“We have a full ceasefire when it – if it kicks in, we have to see,” Trump said, comparing the destruction in Ukraine to the 1863 battle of Gettysburg. “It’s up to Russia now.”

Trump offered to meet Martin again, next time at his golf resort in Doonbeg, Ireland. The meeting ended after just less than an hour, at 12:35 p.m., and within 10 minutes the motorcade was rolling to the Capitol for a luncheon with lawmakers.

In the afternoon, Martin met with House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana), while Trump returned to the White House.

“We talked about a lot of things geopolitics and the Middle East and what’s happening in Israel in particular,” Johnson said Wednesday, after meeting privately with Martin during his visit to the Capitol. “We all think peace there is very important. And I, you know, stressed our view that Hamas, that threat, has to be eradicated.”

Johnson said that he appreciated Martin’s deferential approach.

“I was heartened by his recognition in the ceremony – I guess the press was in there when he did that – but he thanked President Trump for being a force and trying to bring about peace in both of those conflicts,” Johnson said. “And it’s important for our allies to stand with us in that effort. So I think Ireland does. They’re great partners to us.”

Later, in the East Room of the White House, Martin was finally able to unfurl some of his arguments to Trump about why the United States and Europe should stand together.

“Ireland likes to trade with United States, and the United States likes to do business with Ireland because we are strong and reliable partners. Mr. President, let’s do even more and better together,” he said.

And he praised Trump’s efforts to end the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza – even though in private many foreign policymakers have been aghast at the U.S. leader’s confrontational approach to Ukraine, kind words for Russian President Vladimir Putin and effort to turn Gaza into a U.S.-controlled “Riviera.”

“In my view, there is nothing more noble, president, than the pursuit of peace. And this is what you are doing,” Martin said.

But the Irish leader saved his best card for last: Trump’s Irish golf course, Martin said, is one of Ireland’s “finest jewels.”

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Abigail Hauslohner contributed to this report.