ELISSA NADWORNY, HOST:
President Trump arrived in Dublin early this morning for the start of a two-day visit, mixing a bit of diplomacy into a golf vacation. The trip comes off the heels of a glitzy Republican National Convention...
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PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: We love you all. Go out and vote. Go out and vote.
NADWORNY: ...Where a display of Trump's star power was meant to boost GOP candidates in November's midterms, largely ignoring political realities outside the event. While Trump watches golf, global diplomatic efforts are surging ahead. Leaders from China and India are strengthening ties at a summit in New Delhi, where Iran is shoring up its leverage ahead of a meeting Monday with Oman to open the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. will be notably absent from Monday's talks.
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NADWORNY: President Trump did meet today with Ireland's leadership, and he caused quite a stir when he suggested Ireland and Northern Ireland, which is part of the U.K., should be united. NPR White House correspondent Franco Ordoñez joins us from Doonbeg, where Trump is now attending the Irish Open. Hey, Franco.
FRANCO ORDOÑEZ, BYLINE: Hey, Elissa.
NADWORNY: So President Trump really waded into some sensitive political waters when he not only said that Ireland should be united but that it's going to happen eventually. Can you explain?
ORDOÑEZ: Yeah, I mean, he really did set off a bit of a political crisis here when he said that. I mean, actually, here is a little more of what he had to say.
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TRUMP: I'd love to see it unified. I think it would be a great - yeah - a great feather in everybody's cap if that happened. It's going to happen eventually.
ORDOÑEZ: You know, but this idea would be a terrifying one for Northern Ireland, and that was quickly apparent because we heard almost immediately from Northern Ireland leaders really rejecting this idea. Now, Trump boasted that the taoiseach was the guy actually who could solve this issue, and that remark itself made the taoiseach, Martin, you know, seem to be very uncomfortable, and Martin quickly sought to change the subject.
NADWORNY: So apart from this, it actually had been kind of a positive visit, right?
ORDOÑEZ: Yeah, I mean, I would say so. I mean, there was some tension involved in his meeting, Trump's meeting, with the Irish president, who's been fairly critical of Trump. They actually had a nice ceremony with an Irish brigade kind of welcoming Trump by playing the U.S. national anthem. But President Connolly later put out a rather strong statement on Gaza. She said that normalization of war and genocide can never be accepted. I mean, the two leaders are really on opposite ends of the political spectrum.
NADWORNY: And what about Trump's meeting with the country's head of government, Taoiseach Micheal Martin?
ORDOÑEZ: Yeah, I mean, that was a very, very friendly conversation. Martin invited Trump to Ireland this weekend to watch the tournament, and they'll be together again tomorrow on the course. Trump said the relationship with Ireland has never been as good as it is right now. And that was quite a contrast from how he talked about other European leaders who Trump says failed to help the U.S. in its war with Iran.
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TRUMP: No, we'd rather not get involved, Mr. President. Oh, thank you very much. You know? But I put it down because why the hell are we helping them?
NADWORNY: Well, one of the big problems Trump has had with traditional allies is he wants Europe to become less dependent on American military power but also invest more in the U.S., right?
ORDOÑEZ: Yeah, and that's why some see Ireland as a model. I mean, Ireland is militarily neutral. It's not a member of NATO. And at the same time, it is also investing heavily in the U.S. and U.S. manufacturing. And because of that, it's been able to avoid some of the tensions that Trump has had with NATO allies over things like burden sharing and support for the U.S. Actually, some analysts say Ireland could actually serve as a bridge to improving ties with the rest of Europe.
NADWORNY: So diplomacy and golf. That is White House correspondent Franco Ordoñez in Doonbeg, Ireland. Thanks, Franco.
ORDOÑEZ: Thank you. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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