Donald Trump has launched a fresh attack on the EU during a meeting with Irish premier Micheal Martin in the Oval Office.
The US president said he did not want “to do anything to hurt Ireland” but added that the trade relationship between the countries should be focused on “fairness”.
It comes after the president imposed 25% tariffs on global steel and aluminium imports to the US – prompting Canada to announce retaliatory tariffs on US goods worth $29.8bn (£16bn) from tomorrow and the EU to impose counter tariffs on €26bn (£22bn) of US goods from 1 April.
Meanwhile, Sir Keir Starmer said he was “disappointed” to see the president impose global tariffs on steel and aluminium and promised to “keep all options on the table” in how the UK would respond.
During Mr Trump’s meeting with Mr Martin, the president raised the “massive” trade imbalance between the two countries and said Ireland was “of course” taking advantage of the US.
He said the EU was “set up in order to take advantage of the United States”.
Asked by Sky News’ Ireland correspondent Stephen Murphy if Ireland was also taking advantage, Mr Trump replied: “Of course they are.”
He added: “I have great respect for Ireland, for what they did and they should have done just what they did. But the United States shouldn’t have let that happen. We had stupid leaders, we had leaders who didn’t have a clue.
“All of a sudden Ireland has our pharmaceutical companies, this beautiful island of five million people has got the entire US pharmaceutical industry in its grasp.”
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‘They have millions of cars coming in and they don’t accept our cars’
Mr Trump said he loves Ireland, where he has a golf course – but said he wishes the US had “not been so stupid for so many years, not just with Ireland, with everybody”.
Many US pharmaceutical companies have set up their manufacturing facilities in Ireland due to its low 12.5% corporate tax rate.
Irish firms then pay a royalty fee to US parent companies so they can use formulas to make products – meaning Ireland could be the hardest hit EU member by Mr Trump’s 25% tariffs.
‘I would have imposed 200% tariffs’
Mr Trump said if he had been president when those companies started to move to Ireland, he would have imposed a 200% tariff on them so they could not sell anything into the US and they would have “stayed here”.
The president said he would like to see American pharmaceutical companies returning to the US, but expected Mr Martin to “fight on that issue”.
He also told Sky News he would “absolutely” place tariffs on cars from the EU.
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Should UK be worried by Trump tariffs?
Mr Trump accused previous presidents of having “lost big segments” of the US economy and said the EU “treats us very badly”, referencing a recent ruling against Apple.
“They have not been fair. They sue our companies and win massive amounts of money. They sued Apple, won 17 billion US dollars and they use that for other reasons, I guess, to run the European Union,” he said.
“So I’m not knocking it. They’re doing what they should be doing, perhaps for the European Union, but it does create ill will – and as you know, we’re going to be doing reciprocal tariffs so whatever they charge us with, we’re charging them. Nobody can complain about that.”
Michael Martin played a blinder as the first leader in the Oval post-Zelenskyy blood bath
Well, that went well.
An Oval Office meeting that in any other St Patrick’s week would have been regarded as almost unimaginably confrontational – this time around the Irish delegation will be floating on air.
Micheal Martin was in the lion’s den today, the first leader to step into the Oval Office since Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s verbal bloodbath, and you could forgive the Irish PM for being apprehensive.
This was always going to be the most important visit of a taoiseach to the White House in generations. What is usually a jovial green-tinged occasion was this year imbued with a new sense of gravity and nervousness.
The Irish government knew it was in the president’s crosshairs – any small country that boasts a huge trade surplus with the US was bound to be a target for this administration. American figures put that surplus in goods at around €80bn (£67bn) last year, although Irish statisticians insist it was a mere €50bn (£41.9bn) – still a record.
In the Oval, I managed to ask the president if Ireland was taking advantage of America. “Of course they are,” he replied. But Mr Trump is at heart a businessman, and it sounded more like a sneaking admiration.
“I have great respect for Ireland, and what they did,” he said. Ireland did exactly what they should have done, he continued, referencing the luring of lucrative US multinationals. But he placed the blame firmly on “stupid” American leaders who “allowed” it to happen. Mr Martin sat beside him, saying nothing.
The EU was set up to exploit America, Mr Trump said. It was “abuse”. Again and again, it was the Brussels bogeyman, not the Emerald Isle, that bore the brunt of his attack.
I asked if he would respond with more tariffs to the new EU tariffs. “Of course,” Mr Trump responded. After an anecdote about the lack of Chevrolets in Munich, I asked would he now consider tariffs on the crucial European car industry – he replied in the affirmative.
Mr Martin sat beside him, saying nothing.
When the taoiseach did speak, it was to hit the Irish talking points – the Ireland-US relationship was a “two-way street”, with the Irish currently the sixth-largest investor in the US.
“Just look how many Boeings Ryanair is purchasing” was the theme of Mr Martin’s argument.
The leaders joked about Mr Martin’s boxer father. Mr Trump spoke admiringly of Conor McGregor and Rory McIlroy. The minutes ticked away… Ireland unscathed.
They finished with a discussion about the president’s Irish resort at Doonbeg in County Clare. Mr Trump lauded the Irish efficiency at approving an expansion plan, and decried the subsequent EU approval period of several years. Once again – Ireland good, Brussels bad.
There was so much nervousness in Irish government circles. Now they must be wondering what the fuss was all about.
‘Great honour’ to meet Irish Taoiseach
Despite his criticism of Ireland, Mr Trump said it was a “great honour” to have the taoiseach at the White House.
He said the US has “tremendous” business relationships in Ireland “and that will only get stronger”.
Image: Reporters asked questions in the same style as the Zelenskyy meeting. Pic: Reuters
The US leader said his personal relationship with Mr Martin was “very, very strong and very, very good” as he thanked him for coming to Washington DC to celebrate St Patrick’s Day.
He added that Mr Martin did not “look nervous” about the subject of tariffs during their meeting.
Taoiseach reminds Trump of Irish investment in US
The taoiseach praised Mr Trump’s work on “peace initiatives” and said the two countries have a “very good relationship, a historic one”.
But, hinting at the tariffs imposed by Mr Trump, Mr Martin said: “It’s a two-way street. We are investing a lot more in America.”
He said he understands where Mr Trump is coming from, but added that Irish companies Ryanair and aircraft leasing firm Aercap “buy more Boeing” planes than anybody else outside the US.
Rudy Giuliani has been hospitalised following a car crash in New Hampshire, a spokesperson for the former New York City mayor said.
Mr Giuliani suffered “a fractured thoracic vertebrae, multiple lacerations and contusions, as well as injuries to his left arm and lower leg” when his vehicle was struck from behind while driving on a highway near Manchester on Saturday evening, according to Michael Ragusa, Mr Giuliani’s head of security.
“He sustained injuries but is in good spirits and recovering tremendously,” Mr Ragusa said in a statement on X, adding: “This was not a targeted attack.”
Mr Giuliani was in a rental car and “no one knew it was him”, according to Mr Ragusa.
His head of security said the 81-year-old had been “flagged down by a woman who was the victim of a domestic violence incident” and contacted police on her behalf. The crash shortly after was “random and unrelated” to the domestic violence incident, Mr Ragusa said.
Image: Rudy Giuliani attended Donald Trump’s inauguration ceremony in January. Pic: Julia Demaree Nikhinson/Pool via Reuters
Mr Giuliani, who worked as an attorney for Donald Trump in his failed efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election, is expected to be released from hospital in a few days.
His son, Andrew Giuliani, thanked people for reaching out after hearing about his father’s accident, writing on X: “Your prayers mean the world.”
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“As a son, I can tell you that I’m honored to have a Dad that I can call the toughest SOB I’ve ever seen,” he added.
This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and 80 other officials have been blocked from attending September’s annual meeting of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
US secretary of state Marco Rubio has revoked the US visas of delegates from the Palestinian Authority (PA) and Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), and denied others from applying for one.
It is the latest step by Donald Trump’s administration to target Palestinians with visa restrictions, and follows the suspension of a programme to allow injured children from Gaza to receive treatment in the US.
Image: Mahmoud Abbas addressed the general assembly in 2024, but is barred from next month’s meeting. Pic: Reuters
“It is in our national security interests to hold the PLO and PA accountable for not complying with their commitments, and for undermining the prospects for peace,” a statement from the US State Department said.
It added that, to be considered partners for peace, both groups “must consistently repudiate terrorism, and end incitement to terrorism in education, as required by US law and as promised by the PLO”.
Israel declared Gaza’s largest city a dangerous combat zone on Friday.
The army launched a planned offensive that has drawn international condemnation.
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Thick smoke rises from Gaza City after Israeli strikes
Foreign ministers from Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Norway, Slovenia and Spain released a joint statement saying the military operations in Gaza City will cause “intolerable deaths of innocent Palestinian civilians”.
Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are sheltering in Gaza City while enduring famine.
Image: An Israeli armoured vehicle in northern Gaza on Friday. Pic: AP
Image: Palestinians ride a truck carrying humanitarian aid in Gaza City. Pic: AP
The Palestinian ambassador to the United Nations (UN), Riyad Mansour, said Mr Abbas had planned to lead the delegation to the UN meetings and was expected to address the general assembly at the general debate, which begins on 23 September.
He was also expected to attend a high-level meeting co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia on 22 September about a two-state solution, a broad idea involving Israel coexisting with an independent Palestinian state.
The State of Palestine is an observer member of the UN, meaning it can speak at meetings but not vote on resolutions.
Image: The State of Palestine cannot vote on UN resolutions. Pic: AP
US decision ‘contravenes international law’
The Palestinian Authority “expressed its deep regret and astonishment” at the visa decision, calling it “a violation of US commitments” as the host of the UN, and claiming it “contravenes international law”.
UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the world body would be seeking clarification in the “hope that this will be resolved”.
Image: Hundreds of diplomats left when Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu began speaking at the general assembly in 2024. Pic: Reuters
The State Department said that the Palestinian Authority’s mission to the UN, comprising officials who are permanently based there, would not be included in the restrictions.
Under a 1947 UN agreement, the US is generally required to allow access for foreign diplomats to the UN in New York.
But Washington has said it can deny visas for security, extremism and foreign policy reasons.
The death toll in Gaza has now risen to 63,025, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, which does not differentiate between civilians and combatants.
It also reported five more malnutrition-related deaths in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number during the war to 322, with 121 of them children.
US President Donald Trump has revoked Secret Service protection for former vice president and 2024 Democratic rival Kamala Harris.
A senior adviser to Harris, Kirsten Allen, confirmed the decision. “The vice president is grateful to the United States Secret Service for their professionalism, dedication, and unwavering commitment to safety,” said the adviser.
Typically, vice presidents receive a six-month security detail from the Secret Service after they leave office, although it had been extended to 18 months for Harris, according to officials.
Initially, then-president Joe Biden extended her security arrangements to one year, or January 2026, according to reports.
However, a Secret Service official told Sky News’ US partner, NBC, that Biden subsequently signed an executive memorandum in January increasing the then vice-president’s protection period even further, to 18 months.
Former US presidents receive Secret Service protection for life.
Harris, who lost the 2024 presidential election to Mr Trump, is due to start a book tour for her memoir, “107 Days”, shortly.
She was the Democratic nominee for 107 days after Biden exited the race in the weeks following a challenging debate against Trump.
Mr Trump has also ended federal security protection for others, including former national security adviser John Bolton. Last week, FBI agents raided Bolton’s Maryland home.
In March, the president ended protection for Joe Biden’s children – Hunter and Ashley Biden.
Harris has not ruled out a possible presidential run in 2028. She announced in July that she would not run for governor of California in 2026.