Irish Prime Minister, Micheál Martin, made a routine St. Patrick's Day visit to the White House with a joint press conference with President Donald Trump. The press conference was largely dominated by questions about Ireland's relations with the U.S. regarding the Iran war, Israel's war in Gaza, Trump's tariff policies and his hostility to the European Union. Despite these issues, Martin was not mentioned in the event. Despite this, he is understood in Ireland as a canny political operator who led his center-right party to power after a decade in the wilderness. Despite Ireland's domestic issues, including a housing crisis and a patchwork health care system, it also has a large budget surplus.