President Donald Trump created an awkward moment at the White House on Tuesday, March 17, 2026, when he seemed to misgender Ireland’s head of state during the annual St. Patrick’s Day event. Asked about President Catherine Connolly’s criticism of 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 occurred during what was intended to be a lighthearted Oval Office tradition, when the 65-year-old Martin presented Trump with the customary bowl of shamrocks. The encounter quickly shifted into a meandering critique covering immigration, European leaders, and the war in Iran.
Body language analyst Judi James, reviewing footage for the Irish Star, observed that Martin seemed “tense and wary” during the meeting, especially as Trump launched into his contentious remarks. The Irish leader remained polite while listening, though he appeared particularly worried when Trump questioned whether European nations would back his actions in Iran. At one point Martin seemed to raise his hand to try to interrupt, but was unsuccessful.
The tone soured further when Trump shifted to criticizing Europe’s approach to immigration. “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 pushed back tactfully, telling Trump that “sometimes Europe gets characterized wrongly in terms of it being overrun.” He noted Ireland’s population is growing “in a very positive way” because the country draws workers “from Europe and beyond into work legally and validly.”
Trump then criticized British Prime Minister Keir Starmer for not doing enough in the Iran conflict, saying Starmer had offered “only” one aircraft carrier to assist in the Strait of Hormuz, where the U.S. is trying to reopen disrupted oil shipping routes. The president expressed disappointment that the U.K. hadn’t even provided “a couple of minesweepers.”
Martin defended the transatlantic relationship and described Starmer as “a very earnest, sound person” someone 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—”He created his own bit of difficulties for us,” Martin chuckled.
The strained Oval Office meeting occurred as Ireland pursues what analysts call 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 nearly half of that amount. The country recorded a budget surplus in 2025, largely due to tax receipts from American multinationals.
Dan O’Brien, chief economist at the Institute of International and European Affairs, says Ireland’s exports to the U.S. now surpass those of Canada and Mexico, highlighting deep economic integration between the two nations. Irish companies have announced over $6 billion in investment in the U.S., making Ireland the fifth-largest source of foreign investment into the United States.
The St. Patrick’s Day visit, rooted in the Friends of Ireland luncheon started in 1983, has shifted from a sentimental custom to a significant diplomatic and economic mission. Dan Mulhall, Ireland’s ambassador to the U.S. during Trump’s first term, said Martin emerged “without any bruises,” telling RTÉ’s Morning Ireland that Martin “served that purpose well.”
The awkward meeting took place just hours after Joe Kent resigned as director of the National Counterterrorism Center. In his resignation letter posted on X, Kent said he “cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran,” arguing Iran “posed no imminent threat to our nation.” Trump downplayed 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” and noted the lasting cultural connections between the two 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 event. At the shamrock ceremony, Martin highlighted the mutual advantages 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.”
