Irish President Catherine Connolly revealed the stern message she issued to President Donald Trump during their recent private meeting, sparking a chorus of cheers Sunday from critics.
Connolly met with Trump in Dublin on Saturday at her official residence, and, according to the Irish Examiner, made clear that the Trump administration’s foreign policy was at odds with the wishes of the Irish people.
“I conveyed the strong view of the Irish people that the normalisation of war and genocide can never be accepted,” Connolly said, referencing her meeting with Trump.
“As a country which has suffered famine, colonisation and the violence of the Troubles, but also the importance of the long and challenging road to peace, I emphasised the unique insight which Irish people can bring to the resolution of conflict.”
In perhaps a more subtle message to Trump, Connolly also gifted the U.S. president a collection of poems, which notably included the poem “Ceasefire” by the famous Irish poet Michael Longley.
“Bravo,” wrote Australian journalist and author Peter FitzSimons in a social media post on X, responding to reports of Connolly’s message to Trump.
A photograph of Trump walking in front of Connolly with a serious expression on his face also drew considerable attention from Trump’s critics.
“She read him out!” wrote American historian and author Max Dashu in a social media post on X. “He has the same expression as after his secret meeting with [Russian President Vladimir] Putin in Helsinki, the one that no US translators were allowed to witness.”
And Sara Salyers, a prominent Scottish independence activist and former journalist, quipped: “When a picture paints a thousand words!”