“If you’re Irish come into the parlour, There’s a welcome there for you!”
Yesterday, Taoiseach Micheál Martin was welcomed to the Oval Office by US President Donald Trump and amid all the shamrocks and shillelaghs, there was a productive meeting – but was it a communications success?
It was a hotly-anticipated meeting as the last world leader to sit to the right of Trump was Volodymyr Zelenskyy – a meeting that resulted in a shocking and highly criticised heated exchange between Vice-President JD Vance, Trump and the Ukrainian President.
That meeting showed exactly how badly things can go, and with Ireland’s economy so reliant on US companies Trump wants to see return ‘home’, there was potential for damage on Ireland’s big day out in the White House.
So, what did we learn about Martin’s composure under pressure this week and how did he do when weighed up against standard communications advice?
1: Remain calm in the face of provocation
Trump flings out fibs like kitchen rolls at a hurricane shelter, so it’s wise to pick your battles. Martin avoided bait such as Apple’s tax case being unfair, pharma companies being gobbled up by Ireland’s attractive tax system, the housing crisis being a positive economic indicator and of course, Conor McGregor being a great Irish icon (sigh!)
Trump stood mostly uncorrected on a lot of these issues – there was no gentle reaching out by Micheál to touch his arm while serving a slice of truth, and that’s probably the best you can do, when lined up against such a collection of whoppers. The lies and exaggerations came thick and fast and not even Martin’s boxing genetics could have helped him dodge and juke those verbal slaps. The key was to get in and out unbruised, and on the whole Martin made it home safe.
To be fair to Martin, he got an easy ride compared to many. Zelenskyy – who’s fighting an actual war – was criticised for his clothing choices, while Martin’s team must have planted the idea of his family’s boxing history into Trump’s team – famously the President is a big fight fan.
“Genetically, I’m not going to mess around with you,” Mr Trump said – contrast with how they treated the under-fire Ukrainian leader.
2: Know your key messages
Given the way Trump and Howard Lutnick, his Secretary of Commerce, spoke so disparagingly and negatively about Ireland in recent weeks, Martin’s team honed in on the perfect message – “our relationship is a two-way street”. This was the message which Martin had stowed in his overhead compartment as he set off to the US and highlighted a ‘little known fact’ that Ryanair and AerCap are two of Boeing’s biggest customers. Trump’s face glowed at this point, and it was a very strong message delivered gently – “we’re not stealing from you, we contribute”. Given Trump’s fixation on being ‘ripped off’ by other countries, this was the perfect message – backed up by the stats, and aligning with Trump’s own objectives to increase investment in the US.
It snuffed out the tension while allowing Ireland to stand up for its own position on the global stage.
3: Never argue in front of the media
Micheál didn’t take the bait, argue back or cause a scene and while some would like to see him ‘fight’ more, we’ve seen how poorly that can go – as Trump never fights fairly. He could have spoken out about the housing crisis, Palestine or defended the European Union, but he knows rational debate doesn’t work with Trump – the latter is more of a ‘vibes’ man. Martin picked his battles and focused on the big picture; keeping a strong diplomatic relationship with the US.
The competition for companies was like friendly joshing, with Ireland playing up to the role of the rogue taking their US pharma companies because the “lousy EU” encouraged it. Martin repositioned Ireland as a ‘gateway’ to the EU market – and if Trump wants to increase exports to the EU, the message was ‘Ireland can be the front door’ to that market.
4: Know your audience
Lots of US politicians say they are Irish and Martin played up to brand Ireland. Trump claims that four-fifths of Irish-Americans voted for him in the 2024 election and we all know that Ireland has more than a fair share of successful Irish-Americans influencing policy in the US who have a grá for the old country. If there’s one thing that will get you on the right side of Trump, it’s praise. Letting him think that claim is true – by saying nothing – was a harmless way to win.
Whether the EU – another of Martin’s audience, will be happy with how little he defended the bloc, time will tell.
5: Check your body language
There was much smiling, nodding, hand clasping and squirming in his chair but Martin did not retaliate and he let Trump take the spotlight until he ran out of steam. He smiled and kept eye contact with Trump/Vance at all times. He was non-threatening and friendly, but retained his integrity.
6: Listen to the questions
Martin was alert and listening to Trump speak and took advantage of opportunities to express Ireland’s difference in opinions and stance while remaining respectful, friendly and authentic. This was Martin’s big success – it showed global leadership and a peaceful path to partnership.
A tougher stance may have been taken away from the camera but he held his integrity, maintained the relationship and yes, indulged in a bit of shamrocks and shenanigans for “the yanks”.
As media trainers, we applaud Micheál Martin for following some of our golden rules:
- Remain calm in the face of provocation
- Know your key messages
- Never argue in front of the media
- Know your audience
- Check your body language
- Listen to the questions
Christine and Ciarán
Christine Tobin and Ciarán Ó Raghallaigh are media trainers with Fuzion. Both spent 20 years in journalism before joining the team. If you need confidence ahead of an upcoming meeting or media appearance, get in touch with Fuzion’s media training team.
