Micheál did what he had to do... and did it well

According to Politico and rehashed by many in the media on both sides of the Atlantic, the world watched as Taoiseach Micheál Martin, ‘the veteran diplomat’, endured ‘an excruciating 45 minutes’ meeting with President Donald Trump in the White House on March 10, and ‘spent long periods sitting in bemused silence, his hands clasped tightly on his thighs and a Mona Lisa smile on his face’ while his host complained about how the United States was being unfairly treated by the rest of the world, including Ireland, in trade deals. Maybe, but is that a true reflection of Martin’s full visit to Washington?

I feel some sympathy with the claim that the media experience a ‘Trump derangement syndrome’ when writing of him. 

‘President Donald Trump has issued a proclamation that March 2025 is to be Irish-American Heritage Month' led Newsweek a week ago, joining other mainstream publications in creating the impression which permeated social media that this was another act of his in throwing shade against the ‘woke’ community. You would have to read half-way into the article to learn that Trump was in fact only continuing an annual declaration by every US President since it was originally promulgated by George H.W. Bush in 1991, to coincide with St Patrick's Day. Indeed, it would be a brave president to end the tradition, considering that over 31 million Americans claim Irish ancestry, making them one of the most significant ethic groups in the USA. This point was not lost on Trump who wryly noted after signing the proclamation: "[They] voted for me in heavy numbers so I like 'em even more. You have to like it, I know you are not supposed to, but you have to like that."

Though traditionally mostly Democrat supporters, it is reported anecdotally that more Irish-Americans gravitated towards Trump in the last election. In fact, several of his former closest advisers claimed Irish ancestry including his former vice-president Mike Pence, chiefs-of-staff Mick Mulvaney and John F. Kelly, senior counsellor Kellyanne Conway and William Barr, his last attorney general. Steve Bannon, former infamous chief strategist to Donald Trump, was raised a Catholic and declared his mother’s Irish roots. 

Trump himself has often praised his Doonbeg golf course in Co Clare where Mike Pence stayed during his Irish visit in September 2019, even though it is located over 180 miles from Dublin, where his official meetings occurred. This arrangement required significant travel, but Pence's chief of staff, Marc Short, protested (a little too much?) that while Trump suggested they stay at Doonbeg, it was not a directive. But such is the way underlings manage their relationship with an impulsive and narcissistic president in attempting to stay in his good books, through overt acts of flattery and performative ingratiation.

None of this was lost on Micheál Martin's entourage in preparing the Taoiseach's annual visit to the White House to celebrate St Patrick's Day, and they were also keenly aware of Trump’s threats of tariffs on US imports. The Irish diplomatic team would likely have nervously watched repeats of the fiery and confrontational televised meeting on February 28 of Volodymyr Zelenskyy with Trump and his vice-president JD Vance. Trump and Vance repeatedly criticised the Ukrainian president, at times drowning out his voice. Subsequently, Zelenskyy’s visit was cut short and the US administration suspended Ukraine military aid and intelligence sharing.

The Irish delegation laid their groundwork early on March 10, leading with the soft-spoken Michael Lohan, CEO of IDA Ireland, out front on the leading business news channel CNBC, discussing US-Ireland trade, tariffs and making sure to reiterate the point that Ireland is the sixth-largest investor in the USA. This was a talking point repeated by Martin, two days later in the White House when he played a blinder, couching his promotion of Irish business in deferential tone and body language, beneath large dollops of fawning compliments that a Fr Ted Crilly would have been proud of in the presence of the volatile Bishop Brennan.

The Associated Press reported of that meeting that ‘Trump says Ireland cheats the US’. In reality, the mood music was anything but confrontational. All through the day, politicians, diplomats, reporters and invited guests mingled in a warm atmosphere of good spirits with JD Vance proudly wearing shamrock-lined socks for the occasion and cracking jokes, while an effervescent Mike Johnson, speaker of the House of Representatives (and Trump loyalist), was giddily hosting the ‘Friends Of Ireland Luncheon’ and recounting renowned Irish involvement in American history. 

At the same event, Trump was charming, humorous and even inclusive, welcoming the Northern Irish delegation and noting that ‘they [the Irish] spoke very well of you’. He praised Micheál Martin and his wife noting ‘and we’re going to have no problems’ and welcomed the Irish ambassador to the US, Geraldine Byrne Nason. A Riverdance set closed out the event, expertly setting the tone for later in the White House.

In the Oval Office earlier in the day, in front of the cameras and with a simpering smile, Martin praised the US President at their bilateral meeting for ‘work he was doing particularly in the pursuit of peace’ while doing ‘some extraordinary things very quickly’ in the first 100 days of his administration. While Trump did confirm he would have threatened US pharmaceutical companies relocating to Ireland with 200% tariffs on their products being sold back into the US, he was clear of his admiration for Ireland, saying that while Ireland was ‘obviously’ taking advantage of America, ‘Ireland was very smart’ and ‘they should have done what they did’. 

Instead, the transactional businessman laid the blame at previous 'weak' US governments, noting that the massive trade deficit the US had with Ireland needed to be resolved, but joking that his Irish counterpart ‘would be fighting me on it’. 

While Forbes breaking news shrieked that ‘Taoiseach Micheál Martin Refutes Trump Directly To His Face About Ireland Taking US Business’, the truth is rather different. The Taoiseach had instead gently interceded that 700 Irish companies had operations in the US, while Ryanair and Air Cap bought more Boeing aircraft than anyone else outside of America, prompting a nodding Trump to exclaim ‘that’s good’. This was a far cry from the disastrous Zelenskyy meeting.

Thus, while the media tried to talk up contention between the two leaders and even as many of Martin’s detractors lambasted him online for laughing along with Trump’s observation that the Irish housing crisis was ‘a good problem’ indicative of prosperity or not challenging him over his anti-Palestinian Gaza policy or his disparaging transgender remarks, the truth is that Martin, as the New York Times put it, 'worked to avoid Mr Trump's wrath'. 

It may not look or smell great, but Ukraine should take note, this is how diplomacy is done when one is a small country dealing with a temperamental and powerful ally. There will be a time for Ireland to stand up publicly to an American President. But now is not it.

Zelenskyy’s administration can do worse than learn from their Irish colleagues.