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IN A LENGTHY press conference in the Oval Office this afternoon, US President Donald Trump held court on a range of issues, from Ukraine and Gaza to how European countries, including Ireland, weren’t playing fair when it comes to trade with America.
Mostly, Taoiseach Micheál Martin looked on – somewhat nervous at points, even squirming in his chair, as the US President told the media that the Irish, who are “smart people”, “took” America’s pharmaceutical companies.
While Martin did attempt to interject on a number of occasions, at other times he seemed content to just sit back and stay schtum.
So, what did we glean from this extraordinary meeting held in front of the US and Irish press and live-streamed to the world?
“You know why they have a housing crisis?” Trump asked after a question was put to him about the domestic issue facing his visitor.
“Because they’re doing so well, they can’t produce houses fast enough. That’s a good problem, not a bad problem.”
“That’s a pretty good answer,” Martin said with a laugh.
Not sure that is going to play well back home, at all. Sinn Féin’s Eoin O Broin was quick off the blocks to post about the exchange.
Later in the conference, Martin addressed the crisis more seriously, telling the American press corps that housing for young people was his number one priority.
2. Big Pharma: Trump doesn’t want to hurt Ireland, but…
President Donald Trump said he “doesn’t want to do anything to hurt Ireland”, but also hit out at the trade imbalance between the two countries.
He accused Ireland of taking advantage of US through taxation measures aimed at luring pharmaceutical companies to its shores.
“I have great respect for Ireland and what they did, and they should have done just what they did, but the United States shouldn’t have let it happen. We had stupid leaders. We had leaders that didn’t have a clue, or, let’s say they weren’t business people, but they didn’t have a clue what was happening, and all of a sudden, Ireland has, you know, our pharmaceutical companies and others.
“This beautiful island of 5 million people, it’s got the entire US pharmaceutical industry in its grip,” he said.
Asked if Ireland should be worried about its trade surplus with the US, Trump said: “We (the US) do have a massive deficit with Ireland because Ireland was very smart. They took our pharmaceutical companies away from presidents that didn’t know what they were doing – and you know, it’s too bad that happened.”
Trump told the Taoiseach he is “lucky” he wasn’t president when US pharmaceutical companies moved to Ireland as he would have placed 200% tariffs on them.
In one of his more effective interjections, Martin told Trump that trade should always be a two-way street. He specifically referenced the aviation industry and how two Irish companies – Ryanair and Aercap – are the largest purchasers of Boeing aircraft from the US in the world.
It was a moment where you could see the US president was willing to engage with the Irish politician, in a way he often doesn’t with visitors.
Trump told reporters today that the “European Union treats us very badly”, referencing a recent ruling against multinational tech firm Apple.
Martin, for his part, told Trump that the Irish government fought on behalf of Apple in that billion-euro case.
When asked if he would be responding to any retaliatory tariffs from Europe, Trump said:
“Of course, I’m going to respond. The problem is our country didn’t respond. Look, the EU was set up in order to take advantage of the United States.” When asked if Ireland is taking advantage of the US, the US President said: “Of course they are.
“They have not been fair. They sue our companies and win massive amounts of money. They sued Apple, won 17 billion US dollars and they use that for other reasons, I guess, to run the European Union.
“So I’m not knocking it. They’re doing what they should be doing, perhaps for the European Union, but it does create ill will – and as you know, we’re going to be doing reciprocal tariffs so whatever they charge us with, we’re charging them. Nobody can complain about that.”
He said 2 April is going to be a “very big day for the United States of America”, stating that the US “is going to take back a lot of what was stolen from it by other countries.
“I gave you an example of Ireland. I would have never let that happen… But we’re going to take back our wealth, and we’re going to take back a lot of the companies.”
When asked who his favourite Irish person is, the US President complimented Conor McGregor saying he is “great” and “has got the best tattoos I’ve ever seen”.
In November last year, McGregor was deemed liable for sexually assaulting Nikita Hand in the Beacon Hotel on 9 December 2018, with the jury in the case awarding Hand over €248,000 in damages.
With Martin’s comfort level lessening, Trump widened the conversation to Irish fighters in general. He even mentioned the Taoiseach’s father, who was a well-known boxer from Cork.
Louise Burne, a reporter with The Irish Mirror, asked the US President if the Occupied Territories Bill, which aims to ban goods from occupied territories, was brought up by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in his meeting with Trump.
Trump responded by stating that they discuss everything. He said Israel has been “under siege”, adding that October 7 was a “terrible thing”.
“People don’t like to mention it, but it was a terrible, terrible day in the life of the world. And it’s amazing the way people don’t mention that, but I’ve never seen anything like it,” he said.
Martin would have been prepared for this topic to come up given Ireland and the US’s differing stances. He stayed on script, focusing on the hostages and the ceasefire. Many may be disappointed that he didn’t raise any thoughts on the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
There was a lot riding on this meeting, with the Taoiseach getting reams of advice on how to handle it. But little could prepare him for the long-winded comments and hot takes of the US President, who is not afraid to speak his mind.
At times Martin looked visibly uncomfortable as Trump rounded on Europe and criticised Ireland for its business affairs. The Taoiseach tried to interject repeatedly and to give his point of view on matters, but for the most part, he had to retreat.
It’s tough to say how Martin will judge his performance. He’ll be happy he got out of their alive, without a brawl breaking out, but the comments about multinationals in Ireland and tariffs coming our way will hardly put his mind at ease.
While on that side of the Atlantic, he’ll be optimistic that Trump was positive and interested in his meeting. He’ll also enjoy that Trump mostly differentiates Ireland from the EU – and says he wants to be fair to the people in this country.
But his lack of public engagement on some issues that are high on priority lists at home may cause him headaches when he touches back down on Irish soil.
American Comedian Rosie O’Donnell yesterday revealed that she moved to Ireland in January to escape the “cruelty” of Trump’s administration.
O’Donnell made the announcement in a nine-minute video posted to TikTok in which she said she has been here since 15 January, before thanking the “loving and kind” Irish people for their “warm” welcome.
A US reporter asked the Taoiseach (after complimenting his suit, and Irish people’s charm), “Why in the world would you let Rosie O’Donnell move to Ireland?”
“I like that question,” said Trump.
“Do you know you have Rosie O’Donnell? Do you know who she is? You’re better off not knowing her”, said Trump.
Martin escaped the odd line of questioning with practised silence and a grin.
Sinn Féin’s boycott of the White House trip by Mary Lou McDonald and Michelle O’Neill was also put to the US President.
He asked why they were boycotting and was told it was because of the US position on Gaza. Trump shirked, stating he hadn’t heard of any boycott.
Notable that Sinn Féin’s boycott of the White House this year was not on Trump’s radar, at all.
— Jane Matthews (@janeematthews) March 12, 2025
Micheál Martin was quick to jump in after the question was asked.
@thejournal_ie pic.twitter.com/kezpOA4e4z
Trump said that what makes him angry is that this war would have never happened if he had been US president when it broke out.
Trump said although the people dying are not from Ireland or the US, he wants to stop “2,000 people a week dying”.
Trump also said there are things the US can do to pressure Russia into accepting the ceasefire deal, but he said he hope it would not be necessary.
“Sure we can pressure. We can do that with Russia… But yeah, there are things you could do that that wouldn’t be pleasant, in a financial sense, I can do things financially. It would be very bad for Russia. I don’t want to do that because I want to get peace,” he said. He added that Russia wanted to take the whole country of Ukraine, “but I think I’ve stopped that, but we’ll see”.
Martin said: “The one thing we’ve learned in Ireland about the peace process that you’ve just spoken I recall back in the early 90s, when the first tentative steps to get peace in Ireland, people criticised people like John Hume, people like Albert Reynolds, the then taoiseach, and they kept going.
“The war in Ukraine is a devastating war on young people and I think that very simple straightforward narrative is to be commended.
“We all have children, we would be shocked at the prospect of young people losing their lives in that number, be they Ukrainian, be they Russian.”
The obsession with suits and attire doesn’t just belong to that reporter. US Vice President JD Vance commented earlier in the day that Trump liked conservative dress and might not like his choice of socks today.
There was a lighter moment during the meeting when the US President said in the Oval Office today that he was trying to concentrate and answer serious questions but was distracted by the vice president’s shamrock socks.
Vance and Martin shared a knowing laugh.
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