In a display of mutual flattery, Trump noted previous presidents of Irish descent, including “the late great” Ronald Reagan and John F. Kennedy, while tracing the history of the U.S. through the work of Irish immigrants.
“We honor the bravery of countless Irish Americans who have kept our country safe, strong, prosperous and free,” Trump said.
In kind, Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin, wearing a green tie, noted that three of the signers of the U.S. Declaration of Independence were Irish born.
“Since then, Irish Americans have been at the heart of shaping this great nation,” Martin says, crediting the U.S. with doing “much to inspire Irish independence.”
Martin praised Trump as a peacemaker, saying he “welcomes the unrelenting focus and energy you have brought to the search for peace in Ukraine and the Middle East since your first days in office.”
Martin ended his presentation by offering Trump a symbolic gift, a bowl of bright green shamrocks.