At the White House on Tuesday, March 17, 2026, President Donald Trump created an awkward moment during the St. Patrick’s Day ceremony when he seemed to misgender Ireland’s head of state. Asked about President Catherine Connolly’s critique of the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran, Trump said, “Look, he’s lucky I exist”—apparently not realizing Ireland’s president is female. Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin did not intervene.
The 79-year-old president’s blunder occurred during what is usually a lighthearted Oval Office ritual, when 65-year-old Martin handed Trump the traditional bowl of shamrocks. Instead of a brief exchange, the visit turned into an extended monologue touching on immigration, European leaders, and the Iran war.
Body language specialist Judi James, who reviewed footage for the Irish Star, described Martin as “tense and wary” during the meeting, especially as Trump made his contentious remarks. The Irish leader listened politely but appeared particularly unsettled when Trump questioned whether European nations would back his military moves in Iran. At one point Martin seemed to raise his hand to interject but was not successful.
The encounter grew uncomfortable when Trump shifted topics to criticize Europe’s immigration policies. “I love Europe. I’ve spent a lot of time in Europe. It’s a different place. Bad—bad things have happened to Europe, very bad things, and you better do something about immigration,” he said.
Martin responded calmly, suggesting that Europe is sometimes unfairly portrayed as being overwhelmed. He noted Ireland’s population is increasing “in a very positive way” because the country attracts workers “from Europe and beyond into work legally and validly.”
Trump then criticized British Prime Minister Keir Starmer for not offering stronger support in the Iran conflict, complaining Starmer had provided “only” one aircraft carrier for operations in the Strait of Hormuz, where the U.S. is trying to reopen disrupted oil shipping lanes. He expressed disappointment that the U.K. had not supplied “a couple of minesweepers.”
Martin defended transatlantic ties and called Starmer “a very earnest, sound person” with whom Trump “got on with before.” When Trump gestured to a bust of Winston Churchill and said Starmer was “no Winston Churchill,” Martin gently reminded him that Churchill had “a different perspective” in Ireland—quipping that “He created his own bit of difficulties for us.”
This tense Oval Office exchange happened as Ireland is engaged in what analysts term a charm offensive to safeguard its valuable economic links with the U.S. Ireland collected €28 billion in corporation tax in 2024, with just three U.S. companies—Apple, Microsoft, and Eli Lilly—accounting for nearly half of that sum. The nation posted a budget surplus in 2025, largely driven by revenue from American multinationals.
Dan O’Brien, chief economist at the Institute of International and European Affairs, noted that Ireland’s exports to the United States now surpass those of Canada and Mexico, highlighting deep economic integration. Irish businesses have announced over $6 billion in U.S. capital investments, making Ireland the fifth-largest source of foreign investment into America.
The St. Patrick’s Day visit, rooted in the Friends of Ireland luncheon tradition from 1983, has shifted from a sentimental observance to a significant diplomatic and economic engagement. Dan Mulhall, Ireland’s ambassador to the U.S. during Trump’s first term, said Martin left the meeting “without any bruises,” telling RTÉ’s Morning Ireland that Martin “served that purpose well.”
The awkward moment came just hours after Joe Kent resigned as director of the National Counterterrorism Center. In his resignation letter on X, Kent said he “cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran,” adding that Iran “posed no imminent threat to our nation.” Trump dismissed the resignation, calling Kent “weak on security.”
Earlier that day, Vice President JD Vance and his wife Usha hosted Martin and his wife Mary O’Shea for a St. Patrick’s Day breakfast at the Vice President’s residence at the U.S. Naval Observatory. Vance praised Ireland as an “important trading and economic partner,” and highlighted the longstanding cultural ties between the countries.
Irish ministers are visiting cities such as New York, Atlanta, and Miami this week as part of efforts to strengthen economic ties with the United States under the theme “strong partnerships.” Tánaiste Simon Harris, Ireland’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, spent the holiday in Paris and Brussels meeting European counterparts ahead of Ireland’s EU presidency later this year.
House Speaker Mike Johnson hosted the Friends of Ireland luncheon on Capitol Hill after the White House appearance. At the shamrock ceremony, Martin highlighted the mutual gains of the Irish-American relationship: “Today, across this great United States, more than 200,000 Americans go to work each morning in nearly 800 Irish-owned companies, operating in every sector, in every state.”