51�Թ�

"He said: 'We needed to respect human dignity and basic rights and standards for all people, including people who are gay or lesbian or trans, Mr Varadkar'," the former taoiseach added.

Irish trade minister Simon Harris said he was ready to negotiate with the US, calling it the "best way forward", while Taoiseach Micheál Martin said Trump's decision was "deeply regrettable" and benefitted "no-one".

One wonders how much cognitive dissonance was involved in Trump’s 2018 and 2019 meetings with former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, who is both multiracial and gay.

On Wednesday, the taoiseach presented Trump with a bowl of shamrocks in the White House.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said First Minister Michelle O'Neill's decision to boycott this year's White House event to mark St Patrick's Day was "opportunistic and somewhat cynical".