Trump says Irish prez is ‘lucky I exist,’ claims world should be ‘thankful’ for his Iran action

WASHINGTON, DC: Donald Trump met Micheal Martin in the Oval Office on Tuesday, March 17, 2026. During the meeting, he took questions from reporters about Iran, NATO, and the Strait of Hormuz, and also responded to the growing criticism over the Iran conflict. 

This included comments from the Irish head of state who said the military action went against international law. In response, Trump claimed the Irish president should feel "lucky" about his existence and that the world should be "thankful" for his efforts to eliminate Iran's nuclear threat.

The president further shared that he was disappointed with some countries that did not support the US position and disagreed with the strikes on Iran. 

Trump hits back at Iran war criticism, defends his actions

During a press interaction at the Oval Office, Trump responded to criticism over the Iran conflict, including remarks from Ireland’s leadership. As reported by Associated Press, the topic came up while he was answering questions on global tensions.

The president pushed back against the criticism and defended his actions. Responding to the Irish president’s comment that "the normalisation of war can never be accepted," Trump said, “look, he's lucky I exist.”

Trump ended up misgendering Irish President Catherine Connelly in his response, addressing her as "he," seemingly unaware that the Irish head of state is a woman.

The 79-year-old also added, “Everyone in the whole world should be thankful,” that he made efforts to stop Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

“Because if you're going to allow countries that are sick and demented, and they are demented, to have nuclear weapons," Trump stated, adding, "everybody in the whole world should be very thankful,” seemingly referring to his actions in eliminating Iran's nuclear threat.

Trump also expressed disappointment with some allies. He said, “And I'm disappointed in NATO. Very disappointed. I'm disappointed in a couple of other countries, too.” He further added that other nations should be thankful for the US position.

Speaking about Iran’s nuclear capability, he said, “Because if a country like Iran was allowed to have the power of a nuclear weapon, if we didn't stop them, I stopped them twice.”

He then referred to his earlier decision and criticized Obama's 2015 Iran nuclear deal, saying, “I stopped him my first term, when I terminated the Iran nuclear deal, which was Barack Obama's deal.” Trump called it “maybe the worst deal I've ever seen” and criticised the financial benefits given to Iran.

The president added, “If I didn't terminate that deal, we might not be here right now,” warning that serious consequences could have followed. He further said, “And then I did it a second time, when we hit them with the B-2 bombers,” claiming it stopped their nuclear progress.

He concluded by saying the situation could have been very different otherwise, adding that the world today would not be the same without those actions.

Catherine Connolly criticises the conflict in the Middle East

Connolly has repeatedly condemned the tensions in the Middle East, referring to the US' attack a serious breach of international law and reaffirming Ireland’s commitment to peace. Speaking on March 8 during International Women's Day, she said, “The catastrophic consequences of violating the UN Charter cannot be ignored.”

She added, “The violations of international law we are witnessing are shocking and numbing, but we cannot afford inaction.” Connolly said the events should be clearly recognised, stating, “What we have witnessed in recent days in the Middle East, and beyond, are not political disputes. We must name them as such, without euphemism and without equivocation.”

The Irish president also referred to Ireland’s past and said it calls for speaking honestly on such issues. Connolly ended her speech by saying, “The horror of war can never be normalised or accepted.”

She further reiterated her stance during the 2026 St. Patrick's Day address, saying, "The normalisation of war can never be accepted. Now, more than ever, we must renew our commitment to peace and diplomacy in line with the principles of international law as set out in the United Nations charter."