President Trump on Sunday pledged to eliminate tariffs on Irish whiskey, drawing loud applause from fans gathered at his golf course in County Clare.
The president’s pledge to cut the 10 percent tariff was the latest example of Mr. Trump’s whipsaw approach to global trade, and how he often adjusts his tariff policy based on personal interactions with foreign leaders or business interests.
“Everybody’s been bugging me,” Mr. Trump told those gathered at the Irish Open golf tournament. “They are saying, ‘Would you do me a favor? It’s so unfair what’s going on. Could you possibly take the tariffs off of Irish whiskey,’ and I said, ‘On behalf of the United States of America, I am going to take the tariffs off Irish whiskey.’”
Simon Harris, the deputy prime minister of Ireland, called Mr. Trump’s promise a “welcome announcement of economic significance from President Trump this evening that reflects the very positive engagement we’ve had with the U.S. administration on tariffs over the 18 months.”
Mr. Trump has frequently used tariff policy to influence other countries. He has repeatedly threatened and rescinded tariffs, sending officials from other countries scrambling. For much of his presidency, he has argued that other countries are taking advantage of the United States by selling cheap goods. But he sometimes backs off, as he did last year, lifting tariffs on foreign products, including beef, tomatoes, bananas and coffee.
The announcement echoed a similar move this spring, when Mr. Trump announced he was rolling back tariffs on Scotch whisky after hosting King Charles III for a state dinner in Washington.
Almost immediately after arriving in Dublin, Mr. Trump appeared intent on making announcements that would appease — or disrupt — his new audience in Ireland. On Saturday, Mr. Trump broke with decades of U.S. neutrality when he said it would be “fantastic” if Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland unified.
On Sunday, Mr. Trump doubled down on his endorsement of reunification.
“I’ve always loved the people of Ireland, and it just seems to me that you have Northern Ireland and you have Ireland, and it would seem to me that one of the naturals of all time is, put them together,” Mr. Trump said. “That’s only my opinion. And by the way, many people agree.”
Mr. Trump’s eagerness to share his opinion immediately caused a stir during a trip that initially appeared mostly focused on golf. Right-wing allies like Nigel Farage, the head of the populist party Reform U.K, and the head of the main party in Northern Ireland that supports remaining in the United Kingdom criticized his comments.
Reunification is a highly divisive issue in Northern Ireland, where some fear a return to the era of violence known as “The Troubles.” The British carved Northern Ireland out of the island of Ireland after the Republic of Ireland became independent.
And while a majority of citizens of the Republic of Ireland support reunification, successive Irish governments — as well as U.S. presidents — have skirted the polarizing issue.
But surrounded by golf fans at his course on Sunday, Mr. Trump appeared intent on leaving Ireland with a grand ovation. After he announced his lifting of tariffs, the crowd broke into chants of “U.S.A.!”
