Fast friends: Leo’s hot air over Trump’s wind farm victory
US President Donald Trump has said he is now “fast friends” with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, despite only meeting him for the first time yesterday.
At the traditional handover of the shamrock at the White House, Mr Trump said he looked forward to the Taoiseach’s return next year and “for seven more years”, another indication that he will seek re-election.
Meanwhile, Mr Vardakar has been accused of dropping a “diplomatic clanger” after he bragged at a St Patrick’s Day lunch about intervening in the planning process for a wind turbine project on behalf of Donald Trump.
The project was refused planning permission.
Mr Varadkar’s spokesperson said: “It’s normal for ministers to seek information on planning applications.” However,the company which lost out after the then-Tourism Minister’s controversial intervention now says it is “reviewing” its case.
THE warning was brief, but pointed, and delivered in a clipped American twang that invited no discussion. “Please be gentle of the furniture,” the White House staffer told a group of 20 Irish reporters who were anxious to get going. “Just be cognisant of that when you get into the Oval Office – things can get knocked over.”
Things got knocked over last year, she didn’t need to add. “No sticks, no selfies, no selfie sticks, no flash photography,” she continued.
Some of you did that last year too.
But her worries were unfounded. The meeting of Leo and Donald was an altogether more cordial and sedate affair than Enda and Donald 12 months ago.
The Donald even seemed to enjoy it – a couple of questions about golf possibly a nice novelty after another week of intrigue, backstabbing and highprofile departures at his White House.
Indeed, we can probably thank the US president for the extra space yesterday. Many of the senior staff on the couches last year are either now out of favour, like Jared Kushner, or out the door, like Steve Bannon.
Shortly before 11am, the media bustled in – knocking over only a potted plant and a dawdling local newsman – to find the two leaders already seated beneath the famous painting of George Washington, and already in conversation.
They had met for the first time just minutes earlier. Small talk, it is safe to assume, is not a forte for either.
Leo was recounting some of his adventures in Texas and Oklahoma earlier in the week, and Trump was nodding along benignly. “Fantastic,” he said.
It’s not often he’s happy to see the press.
“It’s my great honour to have the very popular prime minister of Ireland with us and we’re having some good talks about trade and about military and about cyber, and all of the other things that we are talking about,” Mr Trump said.
If some of that was news to Leo, he didn’t show it.
They made for an incongruous double act, both dressed in navy suits with white shirts, and with off-green ties and a generous helping of shamrock.
Leo had an Irish and American flags pin on his lapel. The Donald, unsurprisingly, just had the stars and stripes. America First, baby!
But, unlike last year, when he pouted and glowered, his back hunched over, he was noticeably more relaxed yesterday or, perhaps more accurately, noticeably less bored.
Maybe Ireland could get something out of this after all?
Their bilateral meeting was to take place immediately after so the question options were somewhat limited. But there was that invitation from Enda last year to visit Ireland – a parting time-bomb.
So, will Donald come over? “I will, I love it, I have property there and I may never get to see it again,” Trump said, in one of those answers that veered off course like a wayward tee-shot.
Leo is not a golfer but “is willing to learn”, he chipped in.
Trump was already considering other shots – this time at re-election, and the Irish American vote.
“That could happen,” he said about a visit next year. “Well, maybe – maybe if that helps, right?” he laughed.
Leo engaged a fixed grin. An endorsement was unlikely. He later dodged the question on whether he had
formally given Trump an invite.
“I was telling President Trump I was here as a congressional intern back in 2000, but they didn’t let me into the White House,” he said.
Donald opened the door: “But now we do. You’ve made great progress.”
Indeed it was going so well. But then Leo decided to veer a little off script at the Speaker’s Lunch hosted by Paul Ryan on Capitol Hill later in the day.
With the US president and other leading politicians from across the US divide enjoying an amiable atmosphere, some flatlooking Guinness and beef tenderloin, a visibly upbeat Leo decided to recount his first encounter with the now most powerful man on Earth.
It was about golf. Leo should have remembered he is not a golfer.
About four years ago, The Donald rang him out of the blue. At the time, Leo was the minister for transport, sport and tourism.
“My assistant John Carroll said that there’s a call. Donald Trump wants to speak to you. And I just thought: This can’t be the case, this has to be a piss-take by one of my staff members,” he recalled.
“So at the other end of the phone was Donald Trump saying to me that he had bought this resort in Ireland, in Co Clare...but that there was a problem nearby, somebody was trying to build a windfarm and that of course would have an impact on tourism and the beauty of the landscape.”
Leo said he would “endeavour to do” what he could and contacted Clare County Council after the call.
The council ultimately turned down the wind farm planning application.
“The president has very kindly given me credit for that, but it would probably have been declined anyway,” Leo said, to much laughter.
But it is unlikely the funny side will be seen back home.