Dual ‘land mines’ of tariffs and war complicate Irish leader’s White House visit

Vice President JD Vance may have worn shamrock socks to welcome Ireland’s leader to the White House, but conflicts including a brewing trade war dampened the traditional St. Patrick’s Day celebrations that came with his visit.

Taoiseach Micheal Martin was in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday for a meeting with
President Donald Trump, but tariffs and the wars in Ukraine and Gaza set political “land mines” for Martin, according to European policy expert Donatienne Ruy.

“The Irish government has been vocal on Israel’s actions in Gaza and Palestinian statehood, Ireland has supported Ukraine with hundreds of millions of euros in non-lethal aid, and, perhaps most top-of-mind for the U.S. president, Ireland has a large trade surplus in goods with the United States,” said Ruy, a fellow with the Center for Strategic & International Studies.

And all three topics came up during Trump’s meeting with Martin in the Oval Office as reporters from either side of the Atlantic Ocean peppered the two men with questions for about 50 minutes.

Hours after the United States increased steel and aluminum tariffs from 10% to 25%, prompting the European Union, of which Ireland is a member, to respond with duties of its own, Trump complained about the “massive” trade deficit between the United States and Ireland as Ireland entices companies, particularly pharmaceutical companies, with the promise of low tax rates.

Ireland has a corporate tax rate of 12.5%, compared to the U.S. rate of 21%.

Trump then criticized the European Union for treating the U.S. “very badly,” including through its legal challenges against Apple and trade restrictions against U.S. automobile and agricultural products, arguing the steps create “ill will” before pledging retaliatory action of his own.

“The EU was set up to take advantage of the United States,” Trump said before adding Ireland was also taking advantage of the U.S.

Trump later clashed with a reporter who cited “inconsistency” with his trade policy, arguing instead that he was simply being flexible on the dates tariffs will go into effect.

“The United States of America is going to take back a lot of what was stolen from it by other countries,” the president said. “I gave you an example of Ireland. I would have never let that happen.”

“The Democrats should get with us and come up with good tax policy so that Ireland and other countries can’t take our businesses away from us,” Trump continued. “You guys did the right thing. I’m not upset with you. I think I respect what you’ve done. You’ve done a great job, but our people, our people, our people did a very bad job.”

Martin countered that trade was “a two-way street.” RyanAir and AerCap, an Irish airline and aircraft leasing company, respectively, have megacontracts with U.S. manufacturer Boeing, in addition to 700 Irish companies that operate in the U.S.

“I understand where you’re coming from fully,” Martin said. “But I think it’s a relationship that we can develop and that will endure into the future and will change as you’re evolving and you’re doing things.”

On the Russia-Ukraine war, as Moscow faces mounting pressure to accept a 30-day ceasefire with Kyiv, Trump previewed special envoy Steve Witkoff’s own meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday and discussions about land concessions between the warring countries.

“We could do things very bad for Russia,” Trump said. “It would be devastating for Russia, but I don’t want to do that because I want to see peace, and we’re getting close to maybe getting something done.”

As world leaders have learned from Trump’s disastrous meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky two weeks ago, Martin took the opportunity to praise Trump for his role in the peacemaking process.

“Anything we can do to stop the violence, I think, is an extremely positive thing,” Martin said. “There will be all sorts of people having qualifications on it and all the rest of it. It’s our job then to work on it, and to try and build it.”

On the Israel-Hamas war, Martin was asked whether he was going to try to convince Trump to recognize statehood for the Palestinians, as Ireland has done.

“I don’t have to inform the president,” Martin said. “He’s very well clued into the whole situation. We shared the president’s, again, unrelenting focus on peace.”

For Ruy, the European policy expert, the meeting and informal press conference “went as well as it could have” for Martin. The Irish leader also attended a “Friends of Ireland” luncheon on Capitol Hill and St. Patrick’s Day reception at the White House to round out his visit.

“The takeaway seemed to be that things do need to change with Ireland itself, [for example,] U.S. pharma companies should bring production back to the U.S. for the U.S. market,” Ruy said. “That ultimately Ireland got a good deal out of it, but that the European Union is more responsible for every other bad policy related to trade.”

Ruy added that Martin had been required to “represent his country’s interests with an unpredictable interlocutor, while defending EU policies that Ireland has supported over the years — and will need [to] in coming weeks if tariffs come into place, such as the anti-coercion instrument Brussels is ready to use.”

Her perception was that Martin “achieved that balance relatively well, though at times mostly by staying silent or dodging controversial issues.”

“Ireland does have some areas of alignment with the U.S. and U.S. companies regarding tech regulation coming from the European Commission — it benefits from the tax revenue coming from tech companies being headquartered there — but it’s unclear how Brussels will see this interaction,” she said. “Perhaps the best thing that can happen at the moment is maintaining a stream of positive meetings at the White House with European leaders. Whatever it takes.”

To that end, Trump and Martin did appear to bond over their shared breaks from power. Martin served as taoiseach from 2020 to 2022 before returning to the role in January. Last time Martin was in Washington, D.C., he had to meet with former President Joe Biden virtually from Blair House, across the road from the White House, because he had COVID-19.

Trump spoke about the Trump International Golf Links & Hotel Ireland, Doonbeg, his appreciation of Northern Ireland golfer Rory McIlroy, and apparent win of the Irish vote during last year’s election.

“I got the Irish vote,” Trump said. “I think I have it locked up pretty good unless I did something very stupid like drained your company, your wonderful place of all of its companies.”

Trump also teased Vance over his shamrock socks during the meeting with Martin. Vance had earlier made light of them himself during the breakfast he hosted for the taoiseach at his official residence, One Naval Observatory.

“I love these socks,” Trump said to Vance. “What’s with these socks? I’m trying to stay focused, but I’m very impressed with the VP’s socks.”

Shortly afterward on social media, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt shared a photo of her and other women on Trump’s communications team, all of whom wore green for Martin before St. Patrick’s Day next Monday.

“No, this was not planned, we are just always on message,” she wrote.

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