This Saturday, U.S. President Donald Trump will be visiting Ireland for two days blending diplomacy and golf. According to insider sources, it is a trip that once again blurs the line between his presidential duties and his private interests.
At least 4,000 police officers and other members of the Irish security forces have been mobilized for this visit, described as one of the most significant security operations ever conducted in Ireland. Opponents of Donald Trump are expected to protest in Dublin, where the American president is to hold separate talks with Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin and with President Catherine Connolly, whose role is largely ceremonial. The occupant of the White House must then head to his hotel and golf complex at Doonbeg, on the west coast, where the Irish Open is taking place.
“He is essentially coming to visit the golf complex he owns, with a stop in Dublin for a courtesy visit,” Daniel Geary, professor of American history at Trinity College Dublin, told AFP.
The 80-year-old billionaire has openly promoted the golf activities of his family holding since his return to the White House for a second term, in January 2025.
“He is certainly sending the message that he is passionately interested in the affairs of his own family,” said Richard Painter, a law professor at the University of Minnesota.
