Irish leaders on Saturday welcomed US President Donald Trump on a two-day visit, seeking to downplay tensions that threatened to upend ties between close allies.
Trump, however, had other ideas, instead using a short stop in Dublin before heading to his family's golf resort to jab at Ireland — and more broadly Europe — over trade, regulations, energy and immigration.
“You know, I love Europe. My mother was from Scotland, father was from Germany. I love Europe. I have a natural inclination, and I sort of hate to see what's happening with Europe,” Trump said at an event with business leaders from the US and Ireland.
“I hate to see what's happening on trade. I hate to see what's happening on energy, and I hate to see what's happening on immigration,” he added, repeating many of his top grievances.
While not a formal state visit, Trump was received with pomp and pageantry, a demonstration of how leaders in Dublin were eager to avoid any hint of confrontation even as polls show much of the Irish public does not approve of the US president or his trip.
Still, the strains brought by the Trump administration's policies and the difficult tightrope the Irish government must walk with a longtime close ally were apparent throughout the US president's visit.
Thousands of protestors on Saturday gathered on O'Connell Street, one of Dublin's main thoroughfares, to demonstrate against the president's visit, equipped with Palestinian flags and signs declaring “Trump out.” When asked, Trump said he “didn't know there was a protest.”
Trump and Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin both sought to tout their countries' economic ties, with the taoiseach calling the relationship “very strong.” Martin said the gathering of business leaders from the US and Ireland on Saturday highlighted major investments Irish companies are making in America.
Trump for his part said that the two had discussed trade and other matters and that relations would “continue stronger than ever.” But as he spoke later on Saturday, Trump needled Ireland over its successful economic strategy built around attracting US business giants.
“You took all of our medical companies. We got to get a couple of them back. You people did very well. You fleeced us, but that's okay,” he said to laughter. “But there's a lot of room to go around, and our relationship with you is fantastic.”
Ireland rakes in billions of euros in tax revenue every year from those firms, a sore point for Trump who has pushed US companies to shift jobs and manufacturing stateside.
Trump also criticized Europe's approach to regulations. “I'm not coming in to insult anybody, and I say it to anybody that would listen. They have regulations that are just unacceptable,” he added.
The US president was only in Dublin for a few hours on a trip that is a mix of official duties and a personal visit to the Trump International Golf Links in Doonbeg, County Clare, where Trump, a devoted golfer, will attend the Amgen Irish Open on Saturday afternoon and Sunday.
The timing of the visit has drawn scrutiny, coming days after a political convention aimed at bolstering Republicans facing a daunting midterm climate. But even as Trump sought a brief distraction from political challenges at home — voter discontent over his economic agenda and war in Iran that have damaged Republican electoral prospects — those issues followed him to Ireland.
Trump sidestepped a question about Irish consumers facing high home heating oil costs fueled in part by the war, saying countries should “open up the North Sea” to increased crude production that would cause prices to fall.
For Irish leaders, the president's arrival was a matter of delicate diplomacy, with high stakes for Dublin and Europe at large.
Trump walked down a red carpet to meet President Catherine Connolly at Áras an Uachtaráin, her official residence, earlier Saturday, and reviewed the Irish Defence Forces' Guard of Honour as a marching band played. The meeting with Connolly was seen as a potential flashpoint. While her role is largely ceremonial, the Irish president is a prominent figure for many in Ireland's political left and is a vocal pro-Palestinian campaigner. She joined protests during Trump's visit to the country in 2019.
Their roughly 20-minute meeting unfolded behind closed doors. Asked about that private exchange, Trump deferred to his chief of protocol, Monica Crowley, who said the presidents had a “constructive conversation” on a range of issues, including energy in Europe.
Gifts to Trump included a woven St. Brigid's Cross, a symbol linked to one of the country's patron saints and traditionally hung outside homes to bring protection, as well as two books. One, a collection of poems by Belfast-born Michael Longley, includes his sonnet “Ceasefire,” which offers a powerful tale of forgiveness, told through the lens of the Trojan War, as King Priam asks Achilles to return his son's corpse. The other book is a translation of a ninth century Latin text that describes the seven-year voyage of St. Brendan and his monks in the sixth century across the Atlantic Ocean.
Ireland holds the rotating presidency of the European Union, placing it at the frontlines of any EU-US tensions. While Irish leaders have largely managed to avoid Trump's wrath, his brief visit brought other challenges.
Among them: Trump's decision to wade into a debate over the reunification of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Asked by a reporter about the issue, Trump said he'd love to see it happen and cast it as inevitable.
Earlier: Trump Said He'd Love to See a ‘United' Ireland During Visit
As he wrapped up his speech to business leaders, Trump expressed his fondness for Ireland, citing family connections to the region and the country's business acumen.
“Let me tell you, you are some of the most vicious bastards,” he said. “But when you want to be nice, there's nobody nicer.”
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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