Trump's Irish Merger Remark Was Just Banter, Says Northern Ireland's Little-Pengelly
Northern Ireland's deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly has described US President Donald Trump's suggestion of an Irish merger as 'just banter' following a series of engagements in Washington DC this week. The comment came during the president's address at the annual Speakers' Friends of Ireland Luncheon on Capitol Hill on Tuesday.
The Controversial Comment
While welcoming notable guests including Taoiseach Micheal Martin and Ms Little-Pengelly, President Trump observed: 'They get along so well.' Looking toward the two leaders, he added: 'I saw that, you get along very well together, I don't know if I should be promoting merger, I love mergers.'
As laughter filled the room, Trump continued: 'We're going to get into more trouble with that than the beauty' – a reference to an earlier comment about a woman he had described as beautiful.
Little-Pengelly's Response
Speaking to the Press Association on Wednesday during British ambassador Sir Christian Turner's St Patrick's Day breakfast, Ms Little-Pengelly clarified that the remark was clearly intended as humor. 'It's absolutely just a bit of banter,' she stated. 'Anybody who watches his speeches knows that he highlights people in the room and has a bit of banter with them, it's very much his style.'
The deputy First Minister emphasized the positive aspect of the interaction: 'What I think it does indicate is that he recognises that Northern Ireland is in the room, he recognises the political context. I think that has come about because of that political engagement of Northern Ireland being present, being here, turning up, standing up, speaking up, championing Northern Ireland.'
She acknowledged differing opinions about the president while maintaining her focus: 'Of course, we can never control what the president thinks, or what the president will say. Many people have very strong views on the president, including myself. A number of times I would disagree with what he says on a range of issues – but ultimately I am here to champion Northern Ireland, and I think that we've done that very well this week.'
A Productive Visit
Ms Little-Pengelly described her US visit as 'hugely positive', during which she met President Trump both at the luncheon and in a separate White House meeting. She also held numerous meetings across Washington DC, describing the engagement as 'incredibly important' for building long-term relationships.
'We really genuinely get unparalleled access,' she revealed. 'I had a brief conversation with the president at the Speakers' Luncheon before our meeting at the White House later. For me it was all about making sure that Northern Ireland was on his radar in a very positive way.'
She highlighted Northern Ireland's economic potential during her conversations: 'I outlined that the Northern Ireland economy is growing, there is so much potential for Northern Ireland, and referred back to the very long and shared history and heritage that we have as well.'
Absent Colleagues
When asked about First Minister Michelle O'Neill's absence – who declined to visit the White House in protest at US policy on Gaza – Ms Little-Pengelly responded: 'It hasn't been mentioned really to me in terms of my engagement.' Alliance leader Naomi Long and SDLP leader Claire Hanna also stayed away from White House events.
The deputy First Minister defended her decision to attend: 'I do think that it is not just about the meeting with the president. There are so many different events this week that I think it is important for me to be here, to attend, to speak at because if you're not in the room, you don't have a seat round the table.'
She expressed pride in representing Northern Ireland: 'When I took up this post a couple of years ago I had that determination to take every opportunity to turn up, to speak up and to champion because it is the honour of my life to be able to do that. I love Northern Ireland, I really want Northern Ireland to succeed and I will always do everything I can to try to push that forward.'
Supporting Presence
The Wednesday breakfast event also featured Stormont Health Minister Mike Nesbitt, Speaker Edwin Poots, UUP leader Jon Burrows and PSNI Chief Constable Jon Boutcher. During his address, British ambassador Sir Christian Turner praised Northern Ireland's 'vibrancy' and 'transformation' through teamwork and commitment to peace.
'It today stands as a real engine in the economy, and such a great place to invest,' he declared. Turner went on to celebrate the UK-US relationship as 'one of the world's broadest, deepest and most successful alliances.'
He emphasized the importance of dialogue in divisive times: 'At a time when it is easy to focus on division, where social media drags us in to what is different and pushes us to the extremes, whether we're talking about the revolutionary spirit of 1776 or the extraordinary achievements of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998, the power of dialogue, the power of finding commonality in the age of division, finding that is work that gets us all out of bed every single morning.'
