Martin continues US trip after mixed day with Trump
Irish premier Micheal Martin continues his US engagements on Thursday after a mixed day with Donald Trump which saw the president address a 'massive' trade imbalance with Ireland.
Mr Trump declared 'I love the Irish' at a traditional annual event in which Mr Martin gifted him a bowl of shamrock to mark the deep ties between the US and Ireland.
'I'm always struck by the awesome beauty of the Emerald Isle and the strength and warmth and grit and grace of the Irish people,' the president told the ceremony which is the centrepiece of the Irish Government's major overseas diplomatic push in the run-up to St Patrick's Day.
However, a 50-minute exchange in front of reporters at the Oval Office earlier on Wednesday the day allowed Mr Trump to offer some more uncomfortable commentary on Ireland.
It came amid heightened concern around the administration's protectionist approach to tariffs and tax, which could pose a significant risk to an Irish economy that is in large part sustained by long-standing investment by US multinationals.
The president said he does not want 'to do anything to hurt Ireland' but added that the trade relationship between the countries should be focused on 'fairness'.
While levelling accusations against Ireland and the European Union, he said Dublin is 'of course' taking advantage of the US.
Mr Trump told reporters in the Oval Office: 'There's a massive deficit that we have with Ireland and with other countries too, and we want to sort of even that out as nicely as we can, and we'll work together.'
He accused the Irish Government of 'taking' US pharmaceutical companies through attractive taxation measures and criticised the EU's ruling that found that Apple owes Ireland billions of euros in taxes.
Mr Martin told him that US pharmaceutical companies 'are doing very well in Ireland' and there was a 'two-way' economic partnership between the countries.
The Taoiseach also hailed the president's efforts on peace in Gaza and Ukraine and said he 'hoped' Mr Trump would return to visit Ireland.
Elsewhere on Wednesday, Mr Martin also attended a Friends of Ireland luncheon at the US Capitol and a breakfast meeting at the US vice-president's official residence.
Mr Martin and his wife Mary were greeted by vice-president JD Vance and his wife Usha at the US Naval Observatory.
Mr Trump also met with Northern Ireland deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly, Communities Minister Gordon Lyons and Assembly Speaker Edwin Poots at the US Capitol.
Ms Little-Pengelly said he took 'a huge amount of interest in Northern Ireland' as they talked about how to continue the 'constructive relationship' between Northern Ireland and the US.
Mr Martin's agenda on Thursday includes meetings with business leaders and the annual black-tie Ireland Funds National Gala.
Ms Little-Pengelly and Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn will participate in the NI Bureau breakfast.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
18 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Indonesia aims to seal EU free trade agreement in 2026, official says
JAKARTA (Reuters) -Indonesia aims to seal a free trade agreement with the European Union in 2026, Indonesian trade ministry official Djatmiko Bris Witjaksono said on Friday, after the two sides completed their latest round of negotiations. Indonesia and the EU have been in discussions on the agreement for about nine years, and are aiming to sign and ratify it by next year, Djatmiko told reporters, adding it could come into effect by late 2026 or early 2027. The EU has committed to provide market access to priority Indonesian products such as palm oil, textiles, footwear and seafood, Djatmiko said. Indonesia and the EU have previously clashed on tougher EU trade rules for products with potential links to deforestation, which could have an impact on shipments of Indonesian palm oil. In turn, Indonesia has also pledged to increase market access for agricultural and manufactured goods from the EU, Djatmiko said. EU ambassador to Indonesia Denis Chaibi said negotiations are ongoing and "substance will determine timing." The main benefits of the free trade deal for Indonesia include increased foreign direct investment from the EU in sectors like renewables, semiconductors, and mineral derivatives, a presentation slide presented by Djatmiko showed. The deal could increase exports by 5.4%, according to an internal benefit analysis, but senior economic minister Airlangga Hartarto said this was a conservative estimate and he targets a 50% increase in three years. In 2024, the EU invested $1.1 billion in Indonesia, a drop of more than 50% from the previous year. Indonesia's exports to the EU last year were worth $17.3 billion, while imports from the EU were worth $12.8 billion, Indonesian government data showed.
Gizmodo
19 minutes ago
- Gizmodo
MAGA Freaks Out as Man Arrested for Allegedly Handing Out ‘Bionic' Face Shields to Protesters
Chaos has been happening in isolated areas of Los Angeles, where federal forces and the LAPD are clashing with angry protesters and rioters. The Trump administration claims it is maintaining public order against lawlessness. California's governor, Gavin Newsom, meanwhile, says that the White House is engaged in an authoritarian power grab. As the drama in the city continues, a recent arrest would seem to be yet another opportunity for both sides to bicker with one another about who is right. A man named Alejandro Theodoro Orellana was arrested by the FBI on Thursday morning and is now expected to face a charge of conspiracy to commit civil disorders. U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli, who was appointed by Trump's Attorney General Pam Bondi in April, announced Orellana's arrest on social media, writing, 'Alejandro Theodoro Orellana was arrested this morning by @FBILosAngeles on an allegation of Conspiracy to Commit Civil Disorders (18 USC 371) for distributing face shields to suspected rioters on Tuesday.' He added: 'We are moving quickly to identify and arrest those involved in organizing and/or supporting civil disorder in Los Angeles.' In case you missed that, it would appear that Orellana has been arrested because he helped distribute gas masks to protesters. Pictures of the supposed masks that have circulated on social media seem to show that they are a 'bionic' face shield designed to protect against tear gas. Orellana's arrest is now being used by authorities to bolster a claim made by President Trump, which is that the protests in LA are being funded and organized by outside groups. 'These are radical left lunatics that you're dealing with. They're tough. They're smart. They're probably paid many of them. As you know, they're professionals,' Trump said during a press conference on Wednesday. Relatedly, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt highlighted Orellana's arrest on social media on Thursday. 'Once again, President Trump was right,' Leavitt wrote on X. 'The President rightfully raised the important question of who is organizing and funding these dangerous riots in Los Angeles. This morning, the FBI arrested Alejandro Theodoro Orellana for conspiracy to commit civil disorders after handing out face shields to anti-ICE rioters.' This whole thing is bizarre for many reasons, but perhaps the most bizarre is that, despite the fact that cars have been set on fire and federal buildings have been attacked, one of the only people whose arrest has been actively platformed by the Trump administration is a guy whose sole alleged crime (as far as we know) is helping to hand out protective face coverings so that people's eyes don't get burned by tear gas. Also, handing out gas masks is not a crime, so what are officials even really talking about? It's not totally clear. It's easy to feel like they just arrested this guy for nothing. Many other things about the incident remain unclear. The Daily Mail reports that Orellana was not the person who actually handed out the masks, and was only driving the vehicle that delivered them. Another, so far unidentified woman, is said to have actually handed out the masks. When reached for comment by Gizmodo, a public information officer for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California did little to clarify the situation. They said, 'Mr. Orellana was arrested today. We expect his initial appearance will be scheduled for tomorrow at 1:30 p.m. PDT in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles.' The officer added that the office anticipates that Orellana will be charged with conspiracy to commit civil disorders and aiding and abetting civil disorders. There have been over 350 arrests in recent days, and the LA district attorney is expected to begin bringing cases soon, so Orellana is unlikely to be the last protester to grace the headlines. Still, right-wingers have been having a field day with his arrest and have used the incident to spin a larger conspiratorial narrative. The usual cast of MAGA voices have jumped into the fray to imply that Orellana is associated with some sort of vast conspiracy to 'fund' and coordinate the protests in LA. 'This militant and his network are part of the conspiracy to raise cash to buy riot gear,' MAGA influencer Any Ngo posted on Thursday. 'Who is funding and supplying the insurgents in Los Angeles and in other cities? The FBI has arrested the insurgency leader observed handing out $60 'bionic shield' face masks to rioters,' another frequent conspiracy poster with over 600,000 followers wrote. The Daily Signal, a conservative news site that was originally created by the Heritage Foundation, recently ran a news article entitled: 'Who Organized the LA Anti-ICE Protests That Escalated Into Riots?' It's incredibly unclear who is doing what in LA, so—hypothetically—it's not totally out of the realm of possibility that someone is giving supplies to some of the activists. But, last I checked, that's not a crime—nor is not wanting to get hit in the face with tear gas.
Yahoo
21 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Ask Jordan: Who authorized the El Salvador prison contract?
'Who authorized the $6 million contract with taxpayer money [to imprison immigrants in El Salvador]?' — Gina Hi Gina, Your question provides a platform to spotlight a new lawsuit — the first of its kind, per the plaintiffs who brought it. The suit aims to invalidate the agreement between the Trump administration and El Salvador to remove people from the U.S. and hold them incommunicado and potentially indefinitely in a Salvadoran prison known for human rights abuses. To answer your specific question, the complaint that launched the suit said the State Department made the agreement. As for the possible legal basis to strike down the deal, the complaint cites a federal law called the Administrative Procedure Act, which requires federal agency actions to be both reasonable and reasonably explained. The lawsuit argues the agreement fails to meet those requirements because it is 'arbitrary and capricious' and 'was entered into without any legal basis.' While it called the facts 'extraordinary,' the suit says the application of the law to the deal is an 'ordinary' one requiring striking it down. The plaintiffs are a coalition of groups: Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Immigrant Defenders Law Center, Immigration Equality and the California Collaborative for Immigrant Justice, all of whom are represented by Democracy Forward. (RFK Human Rights, which is named for former senator and attorney general Robert F. Kennedy Sr., not the current health and human services secretary, is also representing itself.) It's still early in the new case, which was assigned to U.S. District Judge James Boasberg, Washington, D.C.'s chief federal trial judge, who is also presiding over separate litigation stemming from the administration's illegal Salvadoran renditions. The government hasn't yet responded in court to this latest suit; we don't know how it's going to play out or when it will be resolved. But the case provides another possible legal tool against one of the centerpieces of Trump's second-term agenda. Whatever the result of this latest litigation, it may uncover more information about the agreement along the way. Have any questions or comments for me? Please submit them on this form for a chance to be featured in the Deadline: Legal Blog and newsletter. This article was originally published on
