President Donald Trump and Taoiseach Micheál Martin during the Shamrock Ceremony at the White House. Photograph: Niall Carson/PA WireMartin faced a choice: sit in meek, safe silence, or speak up. Photograph: Yuri Gripas/Abaca/BloombergIt does, and often by key members of the Trump administration – and the US president himself. Clumsy phrasing, or a heavier tone from Martin, could have easily tipped Trump into issuing a rebuke. But Martin went further than most heads of state in debating Trump in the Oval Office.

Source: The Irish Times March 18, 2026 17:58 UTC