U.S. President Donald Trump welcomed Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin to the White House on Wednesday for the annual St. Patrick's Day celebration, using the occasion to accuse Ireland of benefiting unfairly from U.S. trade policies.
During their Oval Office meeting, Trump claimed Ireland, like other European Union nations, had taken advantage of the United States, specifically pointing to U.S. pharmaceutical companies shifting operations to Ireland due to favorable tax policies.
"Of course they are," Trump said when asked if Ireland was among the countries exploiting the U.S. economy. "I have great respect for Ireland and what they did, but the United States shouldn’t have let it happen. We had stupid leaders."
Martin defended Ireland’s role in trade, emphasizing that the economic relationship between the two nations was mutually beneficial. "It’s a two-way street," he said, adding that Irish airlines were among Boeing’s biggest customers and that over 700 Irish companies operate in the U.S., creating thousands of jobs.
Despite the economic debate, Trump and Martin exchanged lighter moments. The U.S. president was briefly distracted by Vice President JD Vance’s shamrock-patterned socks, joking, "I’m trying to stay focused, but I’m very impressed with the VP’s socks."
Trump also made a quip about comedian Rosie O’Donnell’s recent move to Ireland, stating Martin was "better off not knowing" about her, referencing his long-running feud with the talk-show host.
As the meeting concluded, Trump was asked to name his favorite person from Ireland. He responded with mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor, praising his tattoos. He also acknowledged Martin’s father, a former boxer, humorously suggesting that Martin himself looked "too smooth" to be a fighter. "I’m a pretty good defensive boxer," Martin replied with a grin.
While the discussion highlighted economic tensions, Martin emphasized the long-standing relationship between the U.S. and Ireland, suggesting both nations could work toward an enduring partnership.
The visit concluded with Martin presenting Trump with the traditional bowl of shamrocks, a longstanding St. Patrick’s Day tradition at the White House.
Global oil prices reached a four year high on Monday (9 March), surpassing $...
Global oil prices surpassed $119 a barrel on Monday (9 March, 2026), an almost four year high, as the Middle East conflict rumbled o...
Kyrgyzstan recorded the largest increase in women’s representation in parliament worldwide in 2025, accordin...
U.S. President Donald Trump and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke by phone on Sunday as tensions between Washin...
Türkiye’s official anti-disinformation agency has issued a statement refuting what it described as onli...
Recent operations by the U.S. military have led some to believe that a decapitating strike is a silver bullet capable of fixing any foreign policy problem swiftly. However, this logic is flawed, and the risks of relying on swift, targeted actions are too great to ignore.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 9th of March, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Russia launched a barrage of drones and missiles at Ukraine overnight on Saturday (7 March), damaging infrastructure and killing at least 10 people, including two children, in the northeastern city of Kharkiv, Ukrainian officials said.
A 35-year-old former rapper is on track to become Nepal’s next prime minister. Early counting in the elections on Friday (7 March) showed Balendra Shah’s Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) was leading in around 100 seats, far ahead of rivals.
Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is a hardline cleric with strong backing from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. His rise signals continuity in Tehran's anti-Western policies.
Global oil prices surpassed $119 a barrel on Monday (9 March, 2026), an almost four year high, as the Middle East conflict rumbled on.
Trump says the United States "don’t need people that join wars after we’ve already won," targeting his criticism at UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Israel continues to fire missles at strategic sites in Iran and Gulf regions report more strikes from Iran.
China has urged Afghanistan and Pakistan to resolve their dispute through dialogue after Chinese envoy Yue Xiaoyong met Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, as fighting between the two neighbours entered its eleventh day.
Iran named Mojtaba Khamenei to succeed his father Ali Khamenei as supreme leader on Monday (9 March), signaling that hardliners remain firmly in charge, as the week-old U.S.-Israeli war with Iran pushed oil above $100 a barrel.
U.S. President Donald Trump and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke by phone on Sunday as tensions between Washington and Westminster deepened over the conflict involving Iran. The call came less than a day after Trump criticised Britain’s response to U.S. strikes on Iranian targets.
Norwegian police are searching for a suspect after an explosion at the U.S. embassy in Oslo on 8 March caused minor damage but no injuries, in what authorities say may have been a deliberate attack linked to the Middle East crisis.
An explosion damaged a synagogue in the Belgian city of Liège early on Monday (9 March) in what authorities said was an antisemitic attack that caused damage but no injuries.
The Group of Seven (G7) finance ministers will meet on Monday to discuss a global rise in oil prices and a joint release of oil from emergency reserves coordinated by the International Energy Agency, the Financial Times reports.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 9th of March, covering the latest developments you need to know.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment