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Updated at 10.13pm
US PRESIDENT DONALD Trump has spoken over the phone to Taoiseach Leo Varadkar for the first time, congratulating him on a “great victory” in the Fine Gael leadership race.
The conversation came after Trump was put on hold for ‘at least 90 seconds’ as he waited for Varadkar to pick up, according to members of the White House press pool, who were in the Oval Office with the president at the time.
Footage from RTÉ showed Trump congratulating Varadkar on his “great victory”.
“Congratulations on your great victory,” the US president told Varadkar.
“We have so many people from Ireland in this country. I know so many of them. I feel I know all of them.
But I just wanted to congratulate you. That was a great victory that you had.
Trump also spoke to RTÉ’s Washington Correspondent & US Bureau Chief Caitriona Perry.
“We have a lot of your Irish press watching us just now in the room,” he said to Varadkar.
Then, to Caitriona Perry, Trump said:
“Where are you from? Go ahead, come here. We are all over this beautiful Irish press.”
Perry introduced herself and Trump said:
Caitriona Perry. She has a nice smile on her face so I bet she treats you well.
The press were then removed from the Oval Office while the two men continued to talk.
A government press spokesperson said that Trump had invited Varadkar to the annual St Patrick’s Day events in Washington next March and that both leaders “looked forward to meeting in person then”.
“They agreed to continue strong co-operation between Ireland and the US on economic issues, shared culture, and family ties,” the spokesperson said.
Particular topics discussed included migration, Brexit and the movement of goods and citizens across the border, climate change, free trade, Irish inward investment in the US, and the undocumented Irish. They also discussed the Northern Ireland Peace Process.
Varadkar also spoke to UK Prime Minister Theresa May today over the phone.
According to the readout of the conversation, the two leaders discussed the Confidence and Supply agreement the Conservative Party has reached with the DUP.
“They confirmed their joint commitment to restore a Northern Ireland Executive as soon as possible and agreed to engage closely, and work with the parties in Northern Ireland, to bring back political stability and a strong voice at Stormont,” a UK government spokesperson said.
The two leaders also spoke about their willingness to continue close cooperation as the UK embarks on leaving the European Union.
Opposition criticism
Speaking in the Dáil before the phone call with Trump took place, Varadkar defended his decision to speak to him.
“The phone call is at Mr Trump’s request to congratulate me on my election as Taoiseach,” said Varadkar.
“I am going to receive the phone call. Relations between Ireland and America are very important.
They are going to go on long after presidents, taoisigh and governments change in both countries.
Varadkar was responding to criticism from People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett who said that Trump was pursuing “pure unadulterated racism”.
Varadkar said he did not agree with Trump’s travel ban and had “no difficulty saying that if I have an opportunity to do so”.
Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin enquired about the new US ambassador to Ireland.
Varadkar said he had no update, but that “a name has been mentioned”. However, he added that the person had “yet to be formally nominated or to go to confirmation”.
Earlier calls
An Irish government spokesperson earlier confirmed the planned call, adding that Varadkar had held phone calls with a number of other international leaders since his appointment two weeks ago – including French President Emmanuel Macron, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Enda Kenny invited Trump to visit Ireland during his St Patrick’s Day visit to the White House in March.
However speaking on RTÉ’s Today with Sean O’Rourke back in February, Varadkar said he “wouldn’t be keen” on inviting Trump to visit.
“I wouldn’t [invite Trump],” he said.
I’m not sure what purpose it would serve.
When asked during a Leaders’ Questions session last week if he would rescind the invitation, he said he would not.
“I will not, of course, rescind that invitation,” he said, adding that to do so would be “inappropriate” and would create a “diplomatic incident”.
With reporting from Cormac Fitzgerald
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Someone with an invisible passport
@Radovan Karadzic: brilliant
@Radovan Karadzic: clown
@Radovan Karadzic: on a flight from Abu Dhabi? Unlikely.
@Radovan Karadzic: If you would have spent 60 seconds on Google you would have known that a lot of international flights stop in Abu Dhabi.
Most (all?) Ireland to Australia flights do so.
I’m not Irish and according to your name, you’re not either, most likely from Serbia.
Bold comment from someone (potentially) coming from a country which is for 10 years in the EU?
@Wolfgang Bonow: he has multiple accounts. He is unfortunately irish.
@brian madden: This wouldn’t surprise me. Posting BS under one account and complaining under another why comments are closed.
It’s like in Kindergarten.
@brian madden: Quite unfortunate tbf!!
@Wolfgang Bonow: If they are given a pass by all the reasonable who could possibly counter their BS and get comments closed, why wouldn’t they, they see it as a win coz they force folks to treat them in a way they can then lament, the right wing playbook!
Will they please lock down the country ASAP just like they did for the runny nose pandemic
@Mr G Pickett: It’s funny that you think you’re funny ngl! I am amused!
@Mr G Pickett: we don’t have to because thankfully the vast majority of us are vaccinated against measles. A very effective vaccine against a highly contagious and dangerous disease. Unfortunately a few hippies and WEF-obsessed clowns refuse to get vaccinated, hence why the measles spike.
Surely the airline would have a list of passengers
@Tom Mc Donnell: Yes, but with GDPR, the airline may need to contact each passenger individually to get their consent before releasing their information
@Cathy Cagney: Only the one plane tho. Few mins a call….a day of work for a few people??
I’m just hoping no one with Ebola Virus turns up at Dublin Airport!
@Brian Hunt: High lethality rate, but not very contagious.
@Brian Hunt: the good thing about Ebola is symptoms appear quickly and in most cases severely. Easy to spot and contain. There are probably worse viruses out there that we haven’t come across yet.
@Brian Hunt: Or are you just fear-mongering? Hard to know!
@Chutes: Then try harder!
@Brian Hunt: At what exactly? Knowing? Sure though if I’m honest, hard to know where to begin trying to understand such fkwittery ngl. I’ll try tho just for you!
@Chutes: I couldn’t care less about you think, you’re just another virtue signalling member of the Holier-Than-Thou Brigade!
Wasn’t that long ago we couldn’t get into Tesco without a muzzle and a green light.
The good ole days.
@Gerard Carey: Ah yes good times…at one stage to go for a drink you had to show U were vaccinated…show ID..Give your address & phone number and then be told to be out by 8…Good times indeed, brilliantly handled.
Funny how no goverment on this old blue planet had a plan in place for such an event…not like we didn’t have scares like, Bird flu, Sars….mad cow disease… ebola…Hmmmm…some might say our world governments were a wee bit negligent .
@Gerard Carey: A muzzle? Isn’t that hyperbole at its finest!
@Diarmuid Hunt: Hyperbole at its finest, indeed.
@Gerard Carey: Be honest, did ya have to look up ‘hyperbole’ before you replied? ;)
No wonder the comments section is closed on most articles with all the alt-right conspiracy nutters posting on here.
@alan wallace: you could say the same for “offended by everything” left.
@alan wallace: Utter lunatics
@alan wallace: you say conspiracy nutters, guess thats the easiest way for you to label people who asked questions that needed to & still need to be asked about the fiasco that was the handling of Covid.
@alan wallace: Until folks are willing to take them on it will continue, it’s the same as complaining about governance, until you stand they will continue to fk you!
As the Irish love to say, ‘beatings will continue until morale improves’. They will for as long as you are willing to accept the beatings. Maybe the English made us so willing to accept our lot over the many generations, who knows eh?
Until reasonable folks come together, those that would divide us will continue to stupidly easily because they are motivated, organised and together in their efforts. It’s remarkably simple to stop them but it takes collective action.
At least you’ve noticed. Now all you need is the next single step, whatever that may be to you, doesn’t need to be here but you know you need to do something, clearly evidenced by your comment. There are many more who would join you in whatever form your resistance may take. There is so much to resist these days. Try here, try somewhere!
@damien leen: Who exactly have you personally asked questions of and I don’t mean someone down the pub after hours?
@James Reardon: the ‘offended by everything left’ jibe doesn’t exactly ring true when it mostly used by people who would protest against the opening of an envelope if they had nothing left to rail against.
@Setanta O’Toole: @James Reardon clearly has difficulties with the concept of truth! Stop picking on him like the radical leftie you are, it’s no wonder all those strong men are so afraid kappa!
How about isolating sick people instead of allowing them in schools, work and travelling?
@Lisa O’Connor: Unfortunately some diseases, like measles, the symptoms aren’t always obvious while the person is still contagious. The rash (most commonly known & recognised symptom) can appear 7 days after a person becomes infectious. So it’s hard to lock anyone down when they don’t have any symptoms.
Is there anything to be said for another lock down?
What’s the difference between Dubai and Abu Dhabi?
The people in Dubai don’t like the Flintstones, but the people in Abu Dhabi do.
I know, I know, sorry!
@Steve: lol, at least ur sorry! :)
Sunday was 10th March.
Was Sunday not the 10th March??
That’s my joke, must be a Steve thing….
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