White House Welcome

First impressions count – and so do subsequent impressions. Following in Keir Starmer’s lead, Micheál Martin should start his White House visit with a charm offensive. Trump famously provides significant employment in his Doonbeg golf course. Given his interest in leaving a positive legacy, the Irish diaspora and historic warm relations between the two countries are also imperative to bring up at the start of the visit. Britain’s invitation to visit yesterday set off the conversation in the best possible manner for Starmer. Martin should follow suit. A visit to Ireland on the way to Britain would be well-placed to continue building a strong relationship with the new administration. A successful visit from Trump to Ireland would benefit the Government domestically too. Sinn Féin loudly declined the prospective invitation last Friday. A constructive, domestically-beneficial relationship between the two administrations would cast Sinn Féin as hollow virtue signallers with little regard for the best interests of the country. Of course, Martin would need to get more than a photo op out of the visit for that to be the case. Perhaps he should dust off his copy of The Art of the Deal beforehand.

On policy issues, trade is the most important one on the table. At the White House, Martin must fully understand the trade relationship between the two countries. Commerce Secretary, Howard Lutnick, has been vocal on his chagrin for Ireland’s trade surplus in the past. Ireland’s pro-Palestine activism is also a glaring vulnerability that Martin must shore up in the White House. Martin has a lot of leverage. Firstly, international trade is managed at EU level. This creates a useful backstop for Martin in the White House. Secondly, US investment in Ireland is concentrated on tech and pharmaceuticals. Due to GDPR, any tech firm operating in the EU must maintain EU headquarters. Trump cannot bring those firms home. Pharma is a little more vulnerable but it is an established sector in Ireland for acentury. It will take more than grandstanding to make Big Pharma move across the Atlantic. The Administration has already declared war on the sector with its embrace of RFK and MAHA. An attack on its European base is simply unnecessary.

Ukraine

Ireland is a long standing supporter of Ukraine in the war. Matching Trump’s enthusiasm for ending the war is key for having a constructive conversation on it in the White House. It would be a smart move for Martin to ask for clarity on Trump’s recent statements about the two sides in the war. Asking Trump directly will impress a man who appreciates people taking an interest in what he has to say. From there, a sincere offer of support could position Ireland as a key European ally for Europe. Martin needs to handle this delicately in the White House. Neither country wants to spend more money on Ukraine. He should focus on offering diplomatic support. He can leverage the triple-lock neutrality status quo to prevent Irish military involvement.

Martin should approach the Middle East slightly differently at the White House. Ireland has a public record of partisanship in the conflict, a fact that Martin needs to manage in a pro-Israel White House. A focus on civilians and a complete avoidance of any criticism of Israel is key. He only recently became Taoiseach and he was instrumental in putting the kibosh on the Occupied Territories Bill – both before the election and last month. As the former Minister for Foreign Affairs, Martin cannot escape culpability entirely, especially for the state recognition or involvement in the ICJ case. but he could easily throw Simon Harris under the bus in private. It is reasonable that the man who called the US President “an awful gowl” was also instrumental in the rapid decay of Irish-Israeli relations that took place almost entirely on his watch. Trump has no relationship with Harris, but he will be aware of his public support for Kamala Harris in the recent election.