What Ireland’s President Has Said About Trump Ahead of First Meeting - Newsweek
Donald Trump arrives in Ireland on Saturday for a two-day visit, where he will meet the Irish head of state, Catherine Connolly, who previously called him a "bully."
The Irish president does not set foreign policy, but she does represent Dublin on the world stage. Given the large Irish American population, she wields diplomatic clout between Dublin and Washington.
There had been uncertainty over whether Trump would meet Connolly during the trip, Irish media reported, especially given her criticism of the U.S. president, including earlier this year around St. Patrick's Day.
But Connolly has previously said she would "meet and greet" Trump if he visited Ireland, despite her opposition to his policies.
Newsweek reached out to Connolly's office and the White House for comment.
Connolly has made critical statements about Trump during her time as a lawmaker in the Irish parliament, the Dáil, while on the campaign trail for president and since she was elected head of state in November 2025.
In February 2025, while still a deputy (TD) in parliament, Connolly said in a debate marking the third anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine: "...there are countries we certainly cannot trust. America is one of those, and England and France are others."
"The [Irish] government is now using what Russia has done while not calling out America. In the speech today, Trump was called our friend, Trump, who has trampled on international law, supporting Israel trampling on international law and reducing Gaza to nothing," she said.
She returned to the theme of the war in Gaza during her presidential campaign, saying on August 31, 2025, "Have I a trust problem with America? I think every person in the country has a trust problem with America.”
She went on to say that Trump "is volatile, unpredictable, acting like a bully, bringing in tariffs when it suits him," referring to the levies that the U.S. president imposed on countries, including Ireland.
"We keep talking about the consequences of tariffs, but we don't talk about the consequences of genocide," she added, referring to U.S. backing for Israel's actions in Gaza following the October 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas on Israel.
Around St. Patrick's Day this year, Connolly took aim at Trump, particularly over U.S. military action against Iran and broader international security issues.
"If we are going to act as an independent sovereign state, a neutral republic, we must use our voice to speak to power and the abuse of power by President Trump," she said.
When Trump was asked about Connolly's comments while he was at the White House with Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin, the U.S. president appeared to mix up her gender, saying, "look, he's lucky I exist, that's all I can say."
Trump will arrive in Dublin on Air Force One on Saturday. He is scheduled to meet Connolly and Martin in separate engagements at Phoenix Park, where the president’s residence is located, The Irish Times reported.
Trump is also expected to meet U.S. ambassador Edward Walsh, whose Deerfield residence is also in Phoenix Park. He will then head to the Trump International Golf Links in Doonbeg, County Clare, for the Irish Open, where he will stay until Sunday, according to reports.
Mary Lou McDonald, leader of Sinn Féin, Ireland's main opposition party, said her party would attend protests against the visit. McDonald called on Connolly to raise the issue of U.S. support for Israel amid the war in Gaza.
Protest organizers expect thousands to attend a demonstration at the Garden of Remembrance in Dublin's Parnell Square at 1 p.m. on Saturday. Further protests are planned at Doonbeg and Shannon Airport, where Trump will fly in on Saturday evening.
Many of Connolly’s supporters will expect her to confront Trump over U.S. support for Israel and the continuing expansion of settlements in the West Bank, The Irish Times reported.
The Social Democrats party told the newspaper that Connolly "is a strong advocate for peace and international law, as are the Irish people,” while The Greens told the publication they were confident that Connolly would “find a way” to make her points to Trump.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Daniel Orton and Sam Wilson.
