US president Donald Trump sparked a diplomatic incident over Irish unity and made a surprise announcement on whiskey tariffs in a hectic weekend in Dublin and Doonbeg.
Unsurprisingly, there was huge interest stateside in the 47th US president’s brief visit to Ireland.
While past US presidents have at least attempted to grasp the sensitivity and complexity of the Irish unity question, Trump’s off-the-cuff remark about how he would “love to see it” happen sparked intense reaction both north and south of the border.
When asked about British prime minister Andy Burnham’s opposition to a border poll, Trump doubled down. “Everybody says that. Then things happen,” he replied.
This was the angle most of the US media focused on, with some mentions of the removal of tariffs on Irish whiskey.
The Washington Post led with the stark difference in how Trump addressed the Irish unity issue compared with his predecessors.
“The explosive debate over whether British-led Northern Ireland should reunify with the independent Ireland to the south has usually been treated with kid gloves by American presidents. But president Donald Trump seems to prefer boxing gloves,” one piece noted.
Titled ‘Trump pokes the UK, and Ireland’s unity debate catches fire’, the piece also suggested Trump’s comments may have been designed to irritate Burnham, who Trump called “very liberal” in remarks at Doonbeg.
Not many US outlets picked up on the large protest against Trump in Dublin city centre. The Post did, but understated it with a line on Trump’s visit being met by “pro-Palestinian protesters”.
The New York Times also focused on Trump’s Irish reunification comments, noting he had broken with “precedent”.
Their piece also mentioned the symbolic significance of President Catherine Connolly’s gifts to Trump after their meeting at Áras an Uachtaráin.
It mentioned the collection of Michael Longley poems which Trump received, which included one aptly titled ‘ceasefire’.
The Times also featured a report from Doonbeg, looking at the split in the Co Clare town over those who protested Trump’s presence and others who highlighted the economic benefits his resort has brought to the area.
The Wall Street Journal reported “Trump’s weekend in Ireland was supposed to centre on low-stakes diplomacy”, but, “Instead his visit drew him into controversy when he voiced support for Irish reunification, an issue US presidents traditionally avoid”.
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The right-leaning Fox News focused primarily on Trump’s visit to Doonbeg for the Irish Open with pieces titled ‘Golf crowd cheers Trump as he walks out at Irish Open’ and ‘Irish golf fans chant U-S-A after Trump announces end of tariffs on Irish whiskey’.
Fox also featured a piece on Trump officials defending White House personal aide Natalie Harp after criticism of her inclusion in the US delegation for the visit to Ireland.
CBS News reported on Trump mixing “diplomacy and golf”, while it also reported on Trump’s visit to Ireland against the backdrop of “skyrocketing” global energy prices.
The Los Angeles Times focused on Trump’s meeting with Connolly, “Ireland’s president – a Trump critic”.