- President
Trump has failed to call Ireland's new premier Michael Martin in an unexplained break with convention. - Michael Martin, who was appointed Taoiseach three weeks ago, said last year that European leaders need to learn to 'stand up' to Donald Trump.
- It is not clear whether Trump has been made aware of Martin's comments but the president is particularly sensitive to criticism from other leaders.
President Trump has failed to call Ireland's new premier in a break with convention which comes after the incoming Taoiseach said European leaders need to learn to "stand up" to Donald Trump.
The US President typically communicates with a new Irish Taoiseach shortly after their appointment, but Micheál Martin — who was appointed Taoiseach three weeks ago — told the Irish parliament on Thursday that he had "not spoken with the President of the United States of America since my appointment as Taoiseach," according to The Journal.
The White House has not offered any explanation for the president's lack of communication with Dublin, which represents a break from recent tradition between two historically close allies.
President Trump called Leo Varadkar, the last Taoiseach, within two weeks of his appointment. Enda Kenny, the Taoiseach before Varadkar, met President Obama on St Patrick's Day less two weeks after he took office.
Last July Martin publicly criticised President Trump for telling four US congresswomen to "go back" to their countries of origin, despite the fact all but one of them were born in the US.
The Fianna Fáil leader called Trump's comments "outrageous" and "ridiculous" and "totally at variance with the spirit at the core of the American nation."
He added: "There comes a stage when European politicians need to stand up, as well, for core values and not be afraid to say we fundamentally disagree with President Trump's approach to progressive politicians who are making a difference in the United States, who have legitimate points to articulate," said Martin.
It is not clear whether Trump has been made aware of Martin's comments but the president has previously been particularly sensitive to criticism from other leaders.
A furious Trump cut short his attendance of a NATO summit in London last year after a group of leaders including UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and French President Emmanuel Macron, appeared to mock the president.
Martin has spoken to several other leaders since his appointment. He held a phone call with Boris Johnson on June 30, according to Downing Street, and has also spoken to German Chancellor Angela Merkel as well as Charles Michel, president of the European Council.
In 2018, Martin — then the leader of the opposition — said he would welcome the visit of Donald Trump despite the fact the pair had "different views."
"I have no difficulty in meeting Donald Trump," he said, according to The Journal.
"First of all, he's the democratically-elected President of the United States, and the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar invited him last March, reciprocating the invitation that we receive every year to the White House."
"Of course we welcome the visit of any US President."