President Donald Trump created an awkward scene at the White House on Tuesday, March 17, 2026, when he seemingly misgendered Ireland’s head of state during the traditional St. Patrick’s Day event. Asked about President Catherine Connolly’s remarks criticizing the U.S.-Israel war with Iran, Trump replied, “Look, he’s lucky I exist”—apparently not realizing Ireland’s president is female. Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin did not correct him.
The 79-year-old president’s slip came during what was intended to be a lighthearted annual ceremony in the Oval Office, where the 65-year-old Martin handed Trump the usual bowl of shamrocks. Instead, the meeting soon derailed into a lengthy monologue about immigration, European leaders, and the conflict in Iran.
Body language analyst Judi James, reviewing footage of the interaction for the Irish Star, said Martin seemed “tense and wary” during the session, especially as Trump made his contentious remarks. The Irish leader listened politely but appeared notably worried when Trump questioned whether European nations would back his actions in Iran. At one point Martin looked like he tried to raise his hand to interrupt but was unsuccessful.
The atmosphere grew more uncomfortable when Trump shifted to criticizing 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 gently pushed back, saying that “sometimes Europe gets characterized wrongly in terms of it being overrun.” He pointed out that Ireland’s population is increasing “in a very positive way” because the country draws workers “from Europe and beyond into work legally and validly.”
The president then turned his focus to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, criticizing him for not doing enough regarding the Iran conflict. Trump complained that Starmer had offered “only” one aircraft carrier to assist in the Strait of Hormuz, where the U.S. is trying to restore disrupted oil shipping routes. He expressed frustration that the U.K. hadn’t even sent “a couple of minesweepers.”
Martin defended transatlantic ties, calling Starmer “a very earnest, sound person” whom Trump “got on with before.” When Trump pointed to a bust of Winston Churchill and said Starmer was “no Winston Churchill,” Martin observed that Churchill had “a different perspective” regarding Ireland—”He created his own bit of difficulties for us,” Martin said with a chuckle.
The strained Oval Office meeting occurred as Ireland is conducting what analysts describe as a charm offensive to safeguard its valuable economic ties with the United States. Ireland collected €28 billion in corporation tax in 2024, with just three U.S. firms—Apple, Microsoft, and Eli Lilly—accounting for almost half of that amount. The country posted a budget surplus in 2025, largely due to tax revenues from American multinationals.
Dan O’Brien, chief economist at the Institute of International and European Affairs, said Ireland’s exports to the United States now surpass those of Canada and Mexico, highlighting deep economic integration between the two nations. Irish firms have announced more than $6 billion in investments in the U.S., making Ireland the fifth-largest source of foreign investment into America.
The St. Patrick’s Day visit, which originates from the Friends of Ireland luncheon started in 1983, has shifted from a sentimental custom to a high-stakes diplomatic and economic effort. Dan Mulhall, who was Ireland’s ambassador to the U.S. during Trump’s first term, said Martin came away “without any bruises,” telling RTÉ’s Morning Ireland that Martin “served that purpose well.”
The awkward episode happened just hours after Joe Kent resigned as director of the National Counterterrorism Center. In his resignation letter posted on X, Kent stated he “cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran,” asserting that Iran “posed no imminent threat to our nation.” Trump dismissed the resignation, calling Kent “weak on security.”
Earlier in the 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,” highlighting the long-standing cultural links 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 U.S. under the banner of “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 meeting. At the shamrock ceremony, Martin highlighted the mutual advantages of Irish-American ties: “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.”