Trump has said he may visit Ireland next year - before he begins to campaign for re-election

[OnDoutside]

He wants to visit the border ....

President Trump has said he may visit Ireland next year - before he starts his campaign for re-election.

Mr Trump was speaking in the Oval Office alongside Leo Varadkar ahead of a 40-minute bilateral meeting between the US and Ireland.
"It's my great honour to have the very popular Prime Minister of Ireland with us and we're having some good talks about trade and about military and about cyber, and all of the other things that we are talking about," Mr Trump said. "The relationship is outstanding, and only getting better. It really is a special group of people, a tremendous number of Irish are living in New York where I grew up and they're living in the United States, and these are truly wonderful people.

"We love them."

It's not clear what talks about the military - if any - are due to take place.

SNIP

The Taoiseach told President Trump he would be visiting his home city of New York tomorrow for the St Patrick’s Day parade on Saturday.

"It goes right past Trump Tower," Mr Trump said with a smile. "I would watch it all the time." He also said that he would have liked to walk in the parade with Mr Varadkar. The Taoiseach also told the President he previously visited the White House when he worked as a congressional intern in Washington. “I was telling President Trump I was here as a congressional intern back in 2000 but they didn’t let me into the White House,” Mr Varadkar said. Mr Trump respond: “but now we do - you’ve made great progress.”

SNIP

Mr Trump and Mr Varadkar are to spend approximately 40 minutes together, engaging on a range of issues including trade, the undocumented Irish, and the future role of Ireland as an ally of the US in Europe as Brexit looms. The Taoiseach will be joined by John Deasy - the Government's special envoy to the US - who will detail proposals for a reciprocal arrangement between the two countries on immigration reform. Others expected to attend include secretary general Martin Fraser, Irish Ambassador Dan Mulhall, the US president’s chief of staff John Kelly and budget director Mick Mulvaney. Vice President Mike Pence is not expected to be in the room.

more at

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/us-president-trump-has-said-he-may-visit-ireland-next-year-before-he-begins-to-campaign-for-reelection-36708686.html