“Halt and eliminate this clandestine, reckless and provocative threat to world peace”, said President John F. Kennedy at the height of the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962. His words have arguably never been so relevant as they are today. Since then, however, the U.S. has become the unequivocal threat, its president the clear aggressor. By engaging in the now-dated diplomacy of the Saint Patrick’s Day White House visit, Taoiseach Mícheál Martin will be waiving the foundational principle of moral order: accountability, thereby enabling and contributing to a present reality in which political leaders evade retribution in an increasingly lawless world.
With the visit, Ireland finds itself grappling with whether this year’s diplomatic show of friendship is defensible. According to a recent poll from Amárach Research, 47 per cent of the Irish public were against the visit. This opposition is influenced by a number of factors, including crises in Iran and Venezuela, the Trump administration’s appalling treatment of immigrants (“illegal aliens”), and the President’s sinister embroilment in the scandal surrounding serial sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. However, the most prominent basis for Irish objection is undoubtedly the US’s ongoing funding and support of Israel in its continuation of a genocidal war in Palestine.
The Taoiseach dismissed claims calling for his abstention from this long-standing tradition, claiming to look forward to “celebrating the 250th anniversary of a democratic ideal”, which he praised as an “inspiration”, adding: “As we negotiate these challenging times, my focus in relations with all countries and especially in our critical relationships, is not on the short term. It is on the long term. On finding points of shared interest rather than opportunities for division.” This sentiment was echoed by President Trump, who, in his formal invite, expressed his view that the visit would be “an opportunity to celebrate the warm and historic friendship between the U.S. and Ireland”.
Public opposition to the visit is not the overall consensus, however. Some justified the trip as a crucial consolidation of the special relationship between the US and Ireland (from which the latter reaps significant economic rewards). Martin himself appears to cite economic ties as the reason behind his seeming lapse of moral judgment, referring to the “enormous value to both of our countries” in terms of the “economic contacts” between the two nations, an issue which has repeatedly been raised on both sides of the debate, considering that the overall economic relationship is valued at more than €1 trillion. Others in support of the visit simply see the event as apolitical, a mere celebration of historical ties between the two nations, and a recognition of the Irish diaspora.
Just as Ireland and America’s histories are closely intertwined, it is impossible not to draw comparisons between our island’s historical experience of colonisation and Palestine’s current one, largely funded by the US. This connection has translated into particularly high levels of support for Palestine, with 86 per cent of the Irish public agreeing that Israel’s violence in Palestine is genocidal. By attending the White House, Mícheál Martin will not just be disregarding the contradiction between critical statements made at home and comments he will likely make during the visit’s plush charade; he will be justifying the actions of a tyrannical leader, heavily involved in the decimation of Gaza.
According to the US Council on Foreign Relations, “Israel has been the largest cumulative recipient of US foreign aid since [the state’s] founding”. Since October 2023 alone, the US has provided Israel with over $21 billion towards “defence”. As of March 2026, the death toll of Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza now stands at more than 72,000, a particularly staggering figure given that two thirds of these deaths were civilian. While Trump has continued to watch the conflict, bathing in self-praise for his part in a fraudulent ceasefire, a further 600 plus Palestinians have been killed since its signing last October. It is simply beyond comprehension that Martin, who could so adamantly describe Israel’s war as “carnage”, a genocide and the “continuing slaughter of innocent people”, can now justify cordial relations with a key facilitator of this very violence.
It is important to note that Saint Patrick’s Day invitations do not extend to the Taoiseach alone; eight ministers have also been engaging diplomatically across various states in America. According to The Journal, government TDs polled are overwhelmingly in support of Martin’s upcoming trip. Naturally, much of the opposition does not feel quite as warmly, with many critics arguing that it constitutes a “submissive” act, one that ignores calls for a boycott or a firmer stance on international issues.
Sinn Féin is one of the most vocal in its opposition, having boycotted the visit last year and doing the same this year. Party leader Mary Lou McDonald, in response to Martin’s acceptance of the invitation, called on him to use the opportunity to deliver a strong message from Ireland: “that we want international law respected” and that “we want a peaceful and free Palestine” acknowledging that the US’s “actions or inactions are actually decisive as to whether or not we will see justice and peace and freedom in that region or not.” Other critics, however, take a harder line. Former Ceann Comhairle Seán Ó Fearghaíl said of Martin’s decision: “I think that the Taoiseach, who doesn’t need my advice, should consider the advice given by California Governor Gavin Newsom to other political leaders.” Ó Fearghaíl was referring to Newsom’s statements at Davos earlier this year in which he condemned acquiescent international diplomacy: “It’s time to buck up, it’s time to get serious and stop being complicit,” he told reporters. “I can’t take this… People rolling over. I should have brought knee pads [which he conveniently sells on his website] for all the world leaders … this is pathetic.”
Trump’s belligerent disregard for moral order and political accountability is a clear indicator of an increasingly gloves off diplomatic approach taken by the US in foreign affairs. Not a man of principle, Trump is an incompetent, emotional, and unprofessional leader who should not be afforded the respect typically granted to the presidential role. Rather than acting in accordance with tradition, in this current global reality, it is necessary to take a firmer, more hard line stance. While in many ways, an outright boycott would mark a disappointing failure of modern diplomacy, desperate times call for desperate measures, and in this case, a boycott, which would provide a potent opportunity to stand up to the tyrannical bully that is Donald Trump, is necessary, and we must not let fear of economic sanctions impede our moral judgment.
In the words of political theorist Hannah Arendt, “The hypocrite’s crime is that he bears false witness against himself”. By ignoring, perhaps denying, the moral contradictions posed by this visit, Martin appears both obsequious and hypocritical, not just nationally, but internationally.
