Trump commended the Irish Prime Minister while labeling the European Union as an adversary of the US that has been treating America “unfairly” for many years.
President Donald Trump identified Ireland as one of the nations he believes is taking advantage of the United States during his reception of Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin at the White House.
Martin, in the US for the annual St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, responded by highlighting the positive contributions Ireland makes to the US.
Trump has been at odds with both allies and rivals over trade, imposing tariffs on imports from various countries, including Canada and China.
While with Martin, Trump reiterated his assertion that the European Union was established primarily to disadvantage the US.
When asked if Ireland, as a member of the EU, was also taking advantage, Trump remarked, “of course they are. 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 allowed it.”
His remarks referred to the presence of US pharmaceutical companies in Ireland, driven by the country’s favorable tax policies.
“We had foolish leaders. We had leaders who didn’t understand business and were oblivious to what was happening, and suddenly Ireland has our pharmaceutical companies,” Trump stated.
Martin countered that the trade dynamic is “a two-way street,” mentioning that Ireland’s two largest airlines purchase more aircraft from Boeing than any other countries outside the US.
He further noted that hundreds of Irish companies operate in America, contributing thousands of jobs. “That’s a little-known fact that doesn’t usually show up in the statistics,” he remarked.
“I completely understand your perspective,” Martin said to Trump, “However, I believe it’s a relationship that we can strengthen and that will endure into the future.”
This was Trump’s first Oval Office meeting with a foreign leader since his recent dialogue with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, which escalated into a contentious exchange concerning the closure of the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine. The discussion concluded with Zelenskyy being asked to exit the White House.
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