by Larry Donnelly

Of the 2,175 Americans asked in a new CBS/YouGov poll that was taken from Feb. 5 to Feb. 7, 53 percent endorsed “the way Donald Trump is handling his job as president”; 58 percent concurred that he is “effective”; and 55 percent affirmed that he has been “competent” in executing the duties of his position to date.

Leaving aside the usual retort that it is a single poll and some legitimate criticisms of how the questions were phrased in the survey, it did reflect widespread approval, at least at this incipient stage, of the Trump presidency. Speaking anecdotally, it is in keeping with what I heard from very many of the family, friends, and acquaintances I chatted with in Washington and in the Boston area in the period after Christmas.

Yet following weeks of what can only be described as shock and awe – at home and abroad – I was fairly astonished to see these robust figures for the bombastic billionaire. It is hard to know where to start when it comes to assessing the frenetic pace that Trump has gotten off to and the conceivable impact of the far-reaching executive orders he has issued and the objectively extreme agenda he seems determined to pursue.

My surprise is undeniably shaped by the profound disgust and disbelief that is so prevalent in Ireland. Trump’s words and deeds since Jan. 20 have confirmed people’s biggest fears. Most, though definitely not all, loathe the man. And they cannot comprehend how any sentient being could choose Donald Trump for a seat on a city or county council, never mind pick him as the commander-in-chief.

Irish ire has been especially provoked by his expansionist intentions with respect to Canada, Greenland, the Panama Canal, and now Gaza, which are quite a distance from the America First, inward-facing rhetoric he deployed to his advantage during the campaign. That the electorate hasn’t collectively recoiled in horror at the president’s evident embrace of “manifest destiny” as his foreign policy has incensed those here who disdain the US. They have always been a more numerous minority than we like to think. And they are increasingly out in the open about their feelings these days.

It is impossible to predict what is next. But again, things could deteriorate further before they improve. All the while, the residents of this island will look on aghast, unable to fathom why an America they no longer recognize put Donald Trump back in the White House.

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In this context, civic discourse in Ireland is currently dominated by concern as to just how we will be affected by the fallout from the Trump presidency. An Taoiseach (prime minister) Micheál Martin has been invited to present the traditional bowl of shamrock in the Oval Office on March 17. In addition, the new government is dispatching a sizeable contingent of cabinet ministers (Minister for Enterprise Peter Burke will be in Boston) and the attorney general to all corners of the US. Tánaiste (deputy prime minister) Simon Harris is focusing on trade as part of his portfolio and is establishing a US-based advisory board comprised of successful Irish American businesspeople.

The signals that Trump is sending on tariffs and his desire for the repatriation of jobs and tax revenue are foreboding for the Irish economy – exposed as it is given the amount of foreign direct investment from US corporations and the volume of pharmaceutical and other goods exported from here across the Atlantic – and in turn, for the fabric of Irish society. The European Union will negotiate with and/or retaliate against the Trump administration as a bloc. That said, Ireland is well-situated for a host of reasons, including its famed “soft power” stateside, to play a vital role in avoiding the worst-case scenarios being mooted.

Tales abound of Trump abandoning a supposedly rigid stance in the past on the basis of a personal connection, a whim, or the careful massaging of his mammoth ego. Consequently, without wanting to be excessively glib or trivial, I would suggest that the prospect of the golfers Shane Lowry and Rory McIlroy acting as good will ambassadors for Ireland and the EU is worth exploring. The president is a golf fanatic.

The unfortunate added wrinkle at a complex and potentially perilous juncture for the US-Irish bond is the exponentially expanding attitudinal gulf that divides us on the Middle East. On my recent travels, I was struck by how aware ordinary Americans are of the breakdown in diplomatic relations between Ireland and Israel and by the growing perception that this country is fundamentally anti-Semitic.

Benjamin Netanyahu and Co., together with their friends in the America Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), have been mass communicating their displeasure with the Emerald Isle. Some of the prominent individuals promoting Trump’s ideas on tariffs and trade are also staunch defenders of Israel, such as Howard Lutnick, who routinely refers to Ireland pejoratively in the media. 

The Irish leaders journeying to Washington, DC and beyond for St. Patrick’s Day must approach this subject with enormous caution in talks with their counterparts. The overwhelming majority here are certain of the righteousness of the Palestinian cause and furious at what they deem the grossly disproportionate Israeli response to the atrocities of October 7th. This contrasts starkly with an endemic indifference to global affairs on the one hand, and an unwavering sympathy for a steadfast ally in a troubled region on the other, that are both common in the US.

There are no straightforward answers to this quandary. In my view, however, even as leftist opponents of the government allege moral cowardice, Ireland has to put pragmatism and self-interest to the fore. That does not mean jettisoning support or advocacy for the suffering women, men, and children of Gaza. But realpolitik dictates that this is not the appropriate occasion to call attention to a radical divergence of opinion on the Middle East. We live in the world as it is, not as we might wish it were. Maybe trite, yet still true.

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On a badly needed lighter note, the Irish tourist season kicks off in earnest this month. I expect the streets of Galway, Dublin et al. to soon be teeming with Americans. Geopolitical disagreements notwithstanding, the welcome mat remains intact and this is a fantastic time to make a trip “home” – whether it’s your first or your fifteenth visit. The dollar is virtually on par with the euro. And by comparison to the absolutely extortionate prices for pints, meals, hotels and nearly everything else in Massachusetts, you will find bargains aplenty, particularly if you venture outside the capital city.

So go ahead and book the flights. I promise you won’t regret it. Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Larry Donnelly is a Boston born and educated attorney, a Law Lecturer at the University of Galway, and a regular media commentator on politics, current affairs, and law in the US and Ireland. Twitter/X: @LarryPDonnelly