Opposition parties have strongly criticised Taoiseach Micheál Martin over his failure to “call out” US president Donald Trump’s foreign policy during the St Patrick’s Day meeting in the Oval Office.
During a 40-minute press conference held in the White House, Trump criticised Nato and British prime minister Keir Starmer while also staunchly defending his administration’s attack on Iran.
While Martin defended Europe, including on immigration policy, and advocated for de-escalation in the Middle East, the Opposition said it was a “missed opportunity” to confront Trump over his foreign policy.
“The Taoiseach remained almost entirely mute as Trump went on a tirade, spreading disinformation to defend his illegal war in Iran,” said Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns.
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The Cork South-West TD said that when Martin did interject, he gave the impression that the Republic had no issue with Trump’s Iran strikes, which she said were a “flagrant breach” of international law.
“Incredibly, at one point, the Taoiseach said Trump was ‘doing [his] bit’ for peace in the Middle East, mere weeks after Trump launched an illegal war which has destabilised the entire region and unleashed chaos.”
Cairns also criticised Martin for not correcting the US president’s mistaken impression that the Irish president was a man.
“[Martin] did not represent the views of the Irish people, who are appalled at Trump’s lawless and belligerent presidency,” she said.
Sinn Féin foreign affairs spokesman Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire said the Taoiseach “missed an opportunity” to state that US actions in Iran had breached international law. He added that this point should be made in Martin’s other engagements with Trump and his officials.
“We cannot ignore the human rights breaches in Gaza, Palestine and the attacks on Iranian civilians,” he said.
[ Trump takes aim at Nato, Europe and Starmer in meeting with Micheál MartinOpens in new window ]
“It was bizarre to see Micheál Martin telling Donald Trump he was doing his bit for peace in Gaza, given the manner in which the ceasefire is continually being broken, and the so-called board of peace is undermining international law.”
Labour TD Marie Sherlock said the Taoiseach “appeared to survive the meeting today”. But she said this was only because “he failed to call out that Trump’s war is having devastating consequences to life in the Middle East and the cost of living across the rest of the world”.
Independent Ireland leader Michael Collins said he had been unable to watch the exchange in the Oval Office, but reiterated his view that the sitting Irish taoiseach should always meet the US president on St Patrick’s Day.
People Before Profit leader Richard Boyd Barrett said the White House trip was a “pathetic failure by Micheál Martin to challenge Donald Trump’s ravings and his justifications for a blatantly illegal and murderous war”, adding that it was a “thoroughly embrassing” performance from the Taoiseach.
The party’s TD Paul Murphy said Martin had “once again failed to speak truth to power”, and accused the Taoiseach of speaking about Iranian people’s wishes for peace “while ignoring the fact he was seated a metre away from the man responsible for the deadly war being waged against Iran”.
Both strongly criticised the Taoiseach for saying Trump is “doing his bit” for peace in the Middle East.
