Sometimes it’s better for Irish politicians to say nothing – and say it often. They fail to realise that Donald Trump holds Ireland’s economic future in his hands.
As President Trump determines what comes next for the global economy, the Irish government debate stumbles blindly forward, with talks of coalitions, tribunals and how ‘they’ will influence decisions.
Their dereliction of duty to the Irish people displays ignorance and arrogance. The political elite are terrifyingly out of touch. They join with legacy media, who continue unabated with their anti–Trump derangement agenda.
It is delusional paranoia even to think that Irish politicians, or media, will influence any decisions made in the US. Ireland’s political leaders and legacy media have driven a wedge between Ireland and the US Republican Party and Donald Trump over past decades.
Former taoiseach Simon Harris displayed his anti–Trump bias by promoting Kamala Harris and calling Trump an ‘awful gowl’. Fianna Fáil taoiseach Micheál Martin told European leaders to ‘stand up’ to Donald Trump, describing comments by him as ‘outrageous’ and ‘ridiculous’. Even our own President Michael D Higgins cannot keep quiet, describing President Trump’s stance on climate change as ‘regressive and pernicious’.
The reality is that the next 15 years probably will see a Republican government in charge in the US. We are in an economic storm, brought about by the sheer arrogance of our political leaders and their bias towards the US Democrat party. Our government has shown its inability to read the political landscape and we will suffer.
At the stroke of a pen, the global narrative has changed. Ireland is out of step, and is first in the firing line of the ‘America First’ policy.
Ireland was left out in the cold as President Trump welcomed his friends and set the tone with his ‘Revolution of Common Sense’ inauguration speech.
Donald Trump will cut corporate tax for American companies returning home, and punish those that do not. His announcement of a US External Revenue Department is a sign of what is to come.
US Vice–President JD Vance has already fired a warning shot across Ireland’s politicians about the authoritarian legislation which is restricting free speech. The tech giant leaders – Meta, Amazon, Google, Apple, X and OpenAI – all had prime positions beside President Trump.
Ask yourself how dependent is Ireland on any of the above US corporations? Ask yourself whether you would do business with people who hate you? It is evident that Ireland’s political elite are out of step with a US president and US government that holds our wealth, jobs, economy and our future in their hands.
All could disappear at the stroke of a pen, with an economic abyss to follow for the ordinary Irish person.
Dr Joe Kelly, Falcarragh, Co Donegal
