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TAOISEACH MICHEÁL MARTIN will surely be relieved to be out the other side of this year’s Oval Office press conference with US President Donald Trump.
Spanning 40 minutes, the event (which was livestreamed on the White House’s YouTube channel) was largely dominated by questions about the US and Israel’s war in Iran.
For much of the press conference, the Taoiseach sat silently beside Trump as US and travelling Irish reporters roared questions at the US President.
Multiple times throughout the 40 minutes, the Taoiseach made an effort to speak, but was cut across.
At one point, the US President put his hand up and told reporters to “hold it” so Martin could say his piece (this was when Martin took the opportunity to defend UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who Trump had just said was “no Winston Churchill”).
Here are some of the standout moments from the 40 minutes.
Many will find it an interesting approach to tell the man who is dropping bombs on Iran that he is doing his “bit” to bring peace to the region, but that’s exactly what the Taoiseach did.
Martin was talking about the importance of peace in Ukraine and Iran, drawing on Ireland’s experience of conflict in the North.
He told the US President: “We have to continue to work to bring peace, a different regime to Iran, where Iranians can live in peace again, the people in the Middle East can live in peace. And you’re doing your bit there, in terms of working in Gaza and so on.”
The Taoiseach used his opportunity with Trump to make a pitch for a legal pathway for migration between the US and Ireland and to highlight the benefits of immigration.
He said Ireland believes in “robust and fair” rules around immigration and that he would “love” to develop a legal pathway for migration between the US and Ireland.
He said: “In Ireland, our population is growing but in a very positive way.
“Our economy is going well because we’re attracting a lot of people from Europe and beyond in to work in our country.”
He added: “I think sometimes Europe gets characterised in terms of it being ‘overrun’.
“It’s much more robust now, a much more stronger mechanism in place to facilitate legal migration, and I think it’s important.”
These comments came after Trump had criticised the UK and the EU’s immigration policies.
He said he disagrees with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on two things: immigration and energy policy.
“You’ve allowed millions and millions and millions of people to come into your country that shouldn’t be there,” he said, referring to the UK.
“And by the way, that’s all over Europe. Europe is a different place. It’s a different place.”
The UK really appeared to take up a lot of headspace for Trump during this press conference.
On his issue with the UK’s energy policies, Trump said he has been urging Keir Starmer to “get away from windmills” and get “back to oil and gas”.
Going on a bit of a tangent, Trump said:
“They have windmills all over the country, destroying those gorgeous Scottish fields and those beautiful fields all over. Windmills which don’t work. They’re tremendously expensive.
“And the best testament to that, windmills are made in China, but China doesn’t use them. You know, what China uses? Coal.”
He said countries that buy and use windmills are “foolish”.
“I’m proudly telling you that we’re going to try and have no windmills built in the United States during my period. They’re very bad environmentally. They kill the birds. They’re unsightly, they make a lot of noise, but for some reason the environmentalists love windmills,” Trump said.
At some points during these remarks from the President, the Taoiseach looked like he might laugh, but he chose not to pick up any of the President’s comments.
Another awkward moment came when Trump referred to President Catherine Connolly as a man.
When asked what he made of Connolly’s recent remarks criticising violations of international law in the Middle East, Trump responded:
“Who said that?”
“The Irish President,” the reporter said.
“Look, he’s lucky I exist, that’s all I can say,” Trump said.
He then said he was “very disappointed” in NATO for not supporting his operations in Iran, which he claimed is “sick and demented” with nuclear weapons.
The Taoiseach chose not to tell Trump that the Irish President is a woman.
One of the standout moments of this year’s press conference was Trump’s sharp criticism of UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Micheál Martin’s decision to defend him.
You can read more about that here.
Trump said he is “going to try” to attend the Irish Open golf tournament when it is hosted at the Doonbeg course he owns in Co Clare in September.
“You have a tremendous golf tradition, and it was chosen for the Irish Open, which is a big deal. That’s a big event,” he told reporters.
“Everybody wants me to be there. You [the Taoiseach] just said, ‘I hope you’re going to go’.
“We’re going to try. We are going to try. But it would be an honour,” Trump said.
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