Donald Trump’s two-day visit to Ireland was choreographed to produce as little drama as possible, his public engagements limited to brief formal meetings with Irish politicians and an early-morning speech to a friendly audience at the US ambassador’s residence. Trump was greeted warmly by the politicians he met, and he returned the flattery; the Irish might be “vicious bastards”, he said, but “there is nobody nicer”.
A closely-watched encounter with President Catherine Connolly, previously a trenchant critic of Trump’s policies, passed without incident. Connolly later issued a statement saying she had “conveyed the strong view of the Irish people that the normalisation of war and genocide can never be accepted”; Trump said nothing about their meeting.
The line of the day came in response to shouted questions from reporters after Trump’s appointment with Taoiseach Micheál Martin. What did he think about Irish unification, Trump was asked.
“I’d love to see it unified. It is going to happen eventually. You have the right man over here to get it moving,” he said, gesturing to Martin.
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“I think it would be a fantastic thing. I think the UK would have something to say about it but I think it would be a great thing. How could it be bad?”
The remarks presumably made Martin go “bananas” – this is how he recently said he reacts when people call for a Border poll – but he confined himself to a fixed smile. The comments drew criticism from unionists in Belfast and in London, however, with the Conservative and Reform leaders, Kemi Badenoch and Nigel Farage (the latter a committed Trump supporter), both insisting there would be no change in Northern Ireland’s status within the United Kingdom. “Turns out he’s not as orange as he looks,” said SDLP leader Claire Hanna, who was addressing her party conference in Belfast.
From our perspective at The Irish Times, covering even a whistlestop tour like yesterday’s takes a lot of planning. We had to be everywhere Trump went, which meant having more than 15 journalists at different stops along the way or manning our live desk in Dublin.
Conor Pope and Katie Mellett steered the live story from early morning until the evening, pulling together minute-by-minute contributions from Jack White at Dublin Airport, Pat Leahy at Farmleigh, Jack Horgan-Jones at the US ambassador’s residence, James Cox at the Áras, Caroline O’Doherty with the protesters, Gavin Cooney, Philip Reid, Cormac McQuinn and Bryan O’Brien in Doonbeg and Freya McClements in Belfast.
In his analysis, Leahy concludes that everyone got what they wanted from the visit.
“The Taoiseach and the Government maintained friendly relations with the Trump administration – ‘never been as good as it is right now,’ Trump declared – while stressing the mutually beneficial business ties between the two countries. President Connolly got to make her points about peace. And Trump got to promote his resort and watch some golf.”
Finally, our editorial casts the visit in a wider context, arguing that the weekend’s events are the latest manifestation of how Trump, more than any previous holder of the office, has blurred the line between the presidency and his business interests. Well-informed analysts have already concluded that this is the most corrupt administration in American history, with the Trump family amassing vast sums from dubious cryptocurrency schemes and opaque foreign ventures.
The piece notes that, through his domestic and foreign policies, he has done deep and lasting damage to his country and its place in the world.
“Trump is a bully and a braggart, a self-confessed sexual predator and a purveyor of racial slurs. He is probably the worst president Americans have ever elected. Most people would not welcome such a man into their home, and the majority of Irish people will not welcome this visit.
“Heads of state and political leaders must make a different calculation. Whatever the qualities of the man, the office deserves respect as part of the deep bonds between Ireland and the US. Trump’s term will end, and it is to be hoped his country finds a way to erase the stain he leaves behind. The US remains a great nation, and its many friends, in Ireland and beyond, can only wish it a swift return to its better self.”
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