Trump hosts friends of Ireland lunch at the white house with speaker Mike Johnson and Irish PM Martin. The event marks St. Patrick’s day, highlighting strong US-Ireland ties. Before the lunch, VP JD Vance hosted Martin for a breakfast meeting. Martin aims to discuss US-Ireland cooperation on global peace efforts, including conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine. Trump delivered a full speech emphasizing diplomatic ties and peace strategies. The annual gathering underscores the enduring bond between the two nations.
#Trump #Ireland #StPatricksDay #FriendsOfIreland #MikeJohnson #JDVance #UshaVance #IrishPM #WhiteHouse #BilateralTies #USIreland #PeaceEfforts #MiddleEast #UkraineWar #Diplomacy #PoliticalNews #GlobalAffairs #InternationalRelations #TrumpSpeech #BreakingNews
#Trump #Ireland #StPatricksDay #FriendsOfIreland #MikeJohnson #JDVance #UshaVance #IrishPM #WhiteHouse #BilateralTies #USIreland #PeaceEfforts #MiddleEast #UkraineWar #Diplomacy #PoliticalNews #GlobalAffairs #InternationalRelations #TrumpSpeech #BreakingNews
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NewsTranscript
00:00Well we hope you all enjoyed your meals. We'll get the program going again. We
00:05have some of the busiest people in the world in the room so we want to be a
00:08good steward of your time. I mentioned earlier that Irish Americans have left
00:13an indelible mark on American history and I had a few facts I wanted to share
00:18with you this afternoon to have you consider these. Irish men and women have
00:22taken up arms among American soldiers. They've made unmatched contributions to
00:26music and literature and the arts and they punched well above their weight in
00:30American government. Many Irish nationals played an essential role during the
00:35American Revolution. John Barry for example was an Irishman who received
00:39the first commission issued by the Continental Congress and is considered
00:43the father of our American Navy. He later became the first Navy captain to seize a
00:48British ship. We had three Irishmen who signed our Declaration of Independence
00:53George Taylor, Matthew Thornton, and James Smith. One of the most recognized houses
00:58in the world was designed by James Hoban, an Irishman from County Kilkenny, when he
01:05designed our White House. And 23 of the 45 men who have served as United
01:11States President have Irish heritage, many of them proudly. And same for
01:16hundreds of congressmen and senators who have walked these hallowed halls. Today
01:21we celebrate their contributions and the truly special relationship among the
01:25United States and Ireland and the Irish people. So join me in a toast. Here I am
01:31again without a glass. I'm supposed to be toasting. I'm gonna grab one. A glass of
01:38water no less. It works as well. And the toast is in, hold on man I am really
01:47messing this up. But we're all friends here. And I don't know where it went.
01:52All right I'm just gonna toast. It was a beautiful toast trust me it was great. To
01:59the United States, to Ireland, to this beautiful relationship, and to all who
02:03aspire to be Irish around the world. Cheers.
02:08Solange, that's right. That's what I'm supposed to say. I have the pleasure of
02:13introducing our own head of state here. Now this luncheon offers an
02:18opportunity for both Americans and the Irish to reflect on our past and on our
02:22future. In 1981 Senator Ted Kennedy and Senator Daniel Moynihan and Speaker of
02:28the House Tip O'Neill started this great tradition, the Congressional Friends of
02:32Ireland. They aim to celebrate their shared Irish heritage, deepen ties
02:36between our two nations, and promote peace and reconciliation in Northern
02:40Ireland. In 1983 the Friends of Ireland luncheon was born when President Ronald
02:46Reagan, of course of proud Irish heritage, and the Taoiseach visited
02:51Capitol Hill to celebrate Irish heritage and St. Patrick's Day. This lunch was the
02:56embodiment of that, of charity and friendship across political differences.
03:00And it has led the real world, led to real world international diplomatic
03:05successes. Many historians credit the advocacy of the Friends of Ireland
03:10caucus as essential in the signing of the Good Friday Agreement. And we
03:15welcome continued efforts to promote and preserve this agreement and promises of
03:20a bright future for the Friends of Ireland. Last year I hosted this luncheon
03:24alongside President Biden. Our political differences were on stark display. It was
03:29obvious, that's an understatement, but he was our incumbent Democratic President
03:34and I was the Republican House Speaker. And still we shared laughs at the table
03:38at this event. It was one of the rare moments of the year where we could do
03:41that. That's what this this celebration is all about. We laid down our swords and
03:46in the spirit of Tip O'Neill and Ronald Reagan, we broke bread together and
03:49celebrated what binds us all together, rather than what divides us. This year is
03:54a little different, of course. The political dynamics on Capitol Hill are
03:58extraordinarily different. President Trump is back in the White House.
04:01Republicans control both chambers of Congress here in our former government. We
04:06call that unified government. A year ago people thought I was crazy for
04:10predicting that we would be here today, but we are. And we're facing a new
04:13dawn for America and our bilateral relationships. And I know that we can
04:17look forward to working together to promote and preserve our friendships.
04:21It's an important, informative time around the world to do that. So in keeping with
04:26the proud U.S.-Ireland tradition and the spirit of the Friends of Ireland
04:29luncheon, it's my great privilege to present the 45th and 47th President of
04:35the United States, Donald J. Trump.
05:00Thank you very much, everybody. It's a great honor. I've been here just about
05:05every time. We had one that was terminated because of a thing called
05:08COVID. I don't know if anybody's heard of that, but that was never pleasant. And
05:13we would have been together twice, but we had COVID interrupted twice. And I
05:19appreciate seeing you again, however. And you've done a fantastic job. We very
05:23much appreciate you being here. And I also want to thank my new friends from
05:28Northern Ireland for being here, who I just met. Thank you very much. It's a
05:31great honor.
05:36And I must say, they spoke very well of you. So that's good. That's good. And
05:42great to be with you. And thank you to Speaker Johnson. And thank you to all of
05:46the members of Congress who are here. Quite a few, most of which are Irish,
05:52most of whom are Irish. And we welcome Tishook. And I love the name because
06:01me hall. But it's Michael. I said, How many people call you Michael? It's
06:05exactly Michael. I said he said about 50%. I said, Do you get upset when they
06:10do? He said, No, but I'm gonna call you me hall because that's the way it is.
06:14Martin, who is really been terrific. I've been with him quite a bit. I've
06:20spoken to him quite a bit, and we're gonna have no problems. And his wife,
06:24Mary, we welcome you to America. Fantastic people. And it's really a
06:30wonderful annual tradition being here. We're also grateful to be joined by
06:35Irish Ambassador to the United States, Geraldine Byrne, Nation. Where's
06:41Geraldine? Hi, Geraldine. Thank you very much.
06:45And the entire Irish delegation. And I know we're
06:50we're a little bit. Everybody's a little bit late today, but that's okay
06:53because we sell it. We're celebrating the Irish, and I think it's okay. We're
06:57a little bit late. I also want to, uh, congratulate a friend of mine, Ed
07:02Walsh. He's a great golfers, a championship golfer, actually not quite
07:06as good as Rory, but that's okay. But he's right. He's right up.
07:11He's won many, many club championships, many club championships, and he's one
07:16of the best golfers you'll ever see. And congratulations. Boy, you're gonna
07:19have fun over there. He's gonna be the ambassador to Ireland. So, uh,
07:23congratulations, Ed. Well, maybe it is. Thanks to me. But you're gonna have a
07:28good time. You're gonna represent us. Well, he could do most of his business
07:31in the golf course. That's a nice way. He's got the best job of anybody. And I
07:37really appreciate so many of my friends being here. So many great friends here.
07:43This afternoon, we're gathered to celebrate the deep and abiding ties of
07:47history, family and friendship that bind together Ireland and the United
07:50States of America. The Irish American patriots have been part of our national
07:56history in our country's earliest days. Amazing history they have with our
08:00country. Irish Americans fought heroically in our war for independence,
08:04served with honor in the crucible of the Civil War and won fame and valor
08:10among Theodore Roosevelt's famous rough riders. They were rough riders. By some
08:16estimates, more than 2000 Irish American warriors have earned the
08:20Congressional Medal of Honor. This is an amazing statistic because who would
08:25ever think that's even possible? It's more than 50% of the medals of honor
08:30were won by the Irish. I'm gonna have to check that. That sounds like that's
08:35like that's an awfully good statistic. We're gonna have to check what's going
08:39on over there, huh? But that's an amazing statistic. Actually, 50%. This
08:44includes the great Audie Murphy, the most decorated enlisted soldier in
08:49American history, whose service in the Second World War earned a Medal of
08:53Honor, two silver stars abroad, star three Purple Hearts and the Legion of
08:58Merit. Quite a person became a movie actor. The movie actor stuff wasn't
09:03quite as good as the soldier that he did, but he was great. Came a very
09:08famous person. Actually, America's truly been blessed by the courage and
09:13unstoppable spirit of the Irish over the generations. Americans of Irish
09:20ancestry have helped build our railroads and raise our cities and
09:24man our factories, enrich our culture with art and music and literature. We
09:29see that all over and protect our communities by joining the proud
09:33tradition of Irish American police officers and firefighters. A few have
09:38done more for the stars and stripes than the sons and daughters of the
09:42Emerald Isle. And I can tell you, I know your father was a great boxer, and
09:48they have a lot of good fighters. I know so many Irish fighters. They like to
09:52fight, and they're damn good at it, too. But your father, his father was a
09:55great fighter, actually. So that means genetically. I'm not gonna mess around
09:59with you. You understand? I'm a believer in that. But as you know, on Monday,
10:04millions of Americans will celebrate ST Patrick's Day. We love ST Patrick's
10:08Day, maybe especially in New York. Hundreds of thousands of citizens
10:12decked in Irish green will parade through the streets of Chicago, Boston,
10:17Philadelphia and, of course, New York, a site that I've witnessed many, many
10:20times in Manhattan. The people will stream up Fifth Avenue and march past
10:26the magnificent. I see it so much, and I love it, especially when you're
10:30looking down upon ST Patrick's Cathedral, because it's to me one of
10:34the most beautiful cathedrals in the world. And it's a monument not only to
10:39God, but also to the Patriot Saint of Ireland. Patriot Saint. It's really an
10:46extraordinary testament to the connection between our two countries
10:50that after more than 1500 years, the shining legacy of ST Patrick's still
10:56rouses city blocks half the world away. Think of that and fills our people with
11:01incredible love and pride. We have a lot of pride in that cathedral. That
11:06cathedral is something to me so beautiful. I think maybe my favorite.
11:12They have larger, you know, it's very large, but they have larger. But I think
11:15it's truly one of the most beautiful. The Irish spirit is truly alive and
11:20thriving in America. And as we see today, the friendship between our
11:25nations is strong, and it's really unbreakable. And that includes all of
11:28you. You know, it's all of you. We we love you all. So to shook. I want to
11:34just thank you once again for being here. It's an honor, and hopefully we're
11:38gonna be doing this at least three more times. Okay, we're gonna be doing this
11:43three more times, at least when I say at least they go absolutely crazy. So
11:48thank you very much for being here, Mary. Thank you very much for being
11:51here. It's a great honor. Thank you. Thank you, Mr Speaker. Thank you,
11:54everybody.
11:58Thank you, Mr President. Our next guest is not a stranger to this event.
12:20However, this is actually the first time we have the privilege of welcoming the
12:24T shook me. Hall Martin. I said that right. We were talking about that some
12:30I'm Michael to, but that's how we say it very plainly and boringly in the U. S.
12:34And it's the same name over there. It's me. Hall. I like it a lot better. But
12:38we're welcoming him to the friends of our Ireland luncheon in person as the
12:42new T shook. And this is interesting because in 2021 it was mentioned
12:46earlier. This luncheon was virtual due to the ongoing covid pandemic. And in
12:522022, the T shook was in town and slated to attend, but he had a positive
12:58covid diagnosis himself and forced him to deliver remarks virtually once
13:03again. So now, finally, finally, we welcome him in person to this great
13:07event, and we're so excited to have you in the capital. My friend, I'll
13:11welcome you to the podium. Now, the T shook me. Hall Martin.
13:27Mr President, Mr Speaker, Chairman Kelly and Neil Senators, representatives,
13:34ladies and gentlemen, I want to thank you all for welcoming me and Mary to
13:39Washington, D. C. To celebrate ST Patrick's Day on it is a good feeling
13:44to be covid free and to be here on that day. But may in particular say I'm
13:50pleased also to be joined with the deputy first minister from Northern
13:53Ireland. And then this is Bengali. Very pleased to have you here as well.
14:03This is a cherished opportunity to break bread with our most steadfast
14:07friends. And as has been said, it's now more than 40 years since Speaker
14:13Tip O'Neill invited President Ronald Reagan to the capital for the first ST
14:17Patrick's Day lunch and thus began a very proud tradition, which I'm honored
14:22to continue today in your esteemed company. President Trump, thank you for
14:28joining us today to mark our national day. You were a great friend of Ireland.
14:33And by the way, all those statistics that you quoted are absolutely
14:37verifiably true.
14:40I also know, President, that there's one small corner in the west of Ireland, a
14:45beautiful and remote part called Doonbeg in County Clear, which holds a
14:50very special place in your heart. And we hope to welcome you back to our small
14:55island and indeed to these particular greens very soon. Speaker Johnson, once
15:01again, you have graciously gathered our dear friends in this in this August
15:05house to mark ST Patrick's Day. You two are a true friend of our nation. We
15:11thank you for your hospitality in what is a very busy week for you. For
15:18centuries now, America has been a place of welcome and opportunity for Irish
15:23people. Our nation's green has been threaded through the rich tapestry of
15:29the United States by almost 32 million Irish Americans. Their forebears left a
15:35very different Ireland to the one we know today. Many were fleeing the
15:40grinding poverty and terrible hunger which blighted Ireland in centuries
15:45past. They left in desperation, but also in determination to forge a brighter
15:52future for their Children. They channeled that commitment into building
15:57stronger communities and ultimately a stronger nation. This great nation. Many
16:03of their descendants are with us today, true friends of Ireland who continue to
16:09work tirelessly for a future of peace and prosperity on our island. Indeed, we
16:15need look no further than the co-chairs of the Friends of Ireland
16:19Caucus. Our dear friends, Congressman Neill and Congressman Kelly's bold
16:24leadership and vision unites Irish American members from both sides of the
16:29aisle through the Congressional Friends of Ireland Caucus. Throughout our
16:34troubles, the Friends of Ireland, Republican and Democrat alike, held fast
16:39to a vision of Ireland not marred by violence or terror. You worked
16:46unrelentingly to realize that fragile hope. You stood shoulder to shoulder
16:51with us, no matter how fierce the challenge, and there were many such
16:56challenges. And it is that same determination that together we must
17:00devote today to today's conflicts in the Ukraine and in the Middle East. And our
17:07shared history teaches us that peace, however elusive it may sometimes seem, is
17:14achievable. Its promise remains within our grasp. Mr. President, we are forever
17:21grateful for the United States' contribution to transforming our island,
17:25and we wish you well in the efforts that you are making to bring peace to the
17:30Ukraine and to the Middle East and further afield. We thank you for your
17:36leadership and indeed your ongoing friendship to Ireland. Thank you once
17:40again for joining us today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, for your gracious hospitality,
17:46and thank you to our dearest friends in this room. A very happy St. Patrick's Day
17:52to you all. As we might say in Gaelic, go raibh míle maith agus agus beannachtaí
17:59na éile pádraig orruibh go léir. Go raibh míle maith agus. Thank you very much indeed.
18:04Don't miss out. Log on to OneIndia.com for more updates.
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