St Patrick's Day: A carnival in Ireland, just another sideshow in Donald Trump's circus
US president Donald Trump and Taoiseach Micheál Martin shake hands during this year's St Patrick's Day events in Washington DC. Picture: Niall Carson/PA
As a group of Irish journalists are shepherded into the James S Brady press briefing room, a YouTube star records a piece to camera parroting the US administration's talking points and calling Donald Trump a patriot.
Earlier, the US president is posting on Truth Social about Nato allies letting him down in Iran.
St Patrick's Day may be a carnival for Ireland, but this is just another day in Donald Trump's circus.
No two visits are ever the same for the travelling Irish delegation and media, as Trump looks to control the narrative inside his White House.
What is guaranteed, however, is that the visiting leader gets precious little airtime in front of the media compared to Trump, who dominates the Oval Office.
Micheál Martin was left sitting in silence for most of the meeting, only occasionally jumping in to defend UK prime minister Keir Starmer or push back gently against Mr Trump on immigration in Europe.
The US president essentially holds court, taking questions and hitting back at journalists while lambasting countries who might traditionally be seen as allies.
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Ireland managed to avoid any hammering, with Trump seemingly picking up on a lot of the messaging the Taoiseach has been putting out in recent days about the role of Irish men and women in the foundation of the US 250 years ago.
Before all the madness kicks off, journalists are herded into the White House and corralled into the famous briefing room — where White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt is fond of bashing what she might describe as the “fake news media”.
It’s a long wait, before the White House press wranglers eventually bring all the reporters across the Rose Garden — which was paved over last year by Trump — into the Oval Office.
Reporters were left wondering what form the US president might be in, with the meeting delayed and a Truth Social post from Trump hammering Nato.
It’s a tight squeeze, with journalists pressed together cheek by jowl, trying their best to shout the loudest or catch the eye of the president for a chance at a question.
There was much more of a focus on international affairs this year, with Irish journalists not getting as much chance to get their questions answered.
It’s a chaotic experience for everyone involved, with it remaining somewhat surreal as you see the Resolute Desk or the Declaration of Independence mounted on the rounded wall.
For those covering the visit, it’s an early start, waiting outside the vice president’s house in the freezing cold for the Taoiseach’s arrival.
The meeting between JD Vance and Micheál Martin was considerably warmer, with the two appearing to have built up a good rapport and relationship since their last breakfast together in 2025.
The Taoiseach opted to gift Vance a copy of James Joyce's , using it as a jumping off point to invite the vice president back to Ireland.
Vance, meanwhile, took the opportunity to show off his shamrock socks to the Taoiseach for the second year in a row.
It’s a fairly brief press encounter, with the two making some short remarks before Vance informs the media that they’re about to be kicked out of his house.
Later in the afternoon, journalists are escorted from the White House and shuttled off to the Capitol, standing up to watch as congressmen and women from across the aisle sit down to lunch with the Taoiseach and the US president.
The whole thing is so tightly scripted, there is precious little time for reporters to file, and the four-hour time difference keeps you checking your watch for the ever-approaching deadline.
With Trump having two more years left in office, it’s all but certain that next year’s St Patrick’s Day will be just as chaotic.
- Tadgh McNally, Political Reporter, in Washington DC
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