Trump in Ireland: US President visits his own golf course

afp/ap | US President Donald Trump has arrived in Ireland for a two-day visit. Trump landed at Dublin Airport on Saturday morning, as reporters from the AFP news agency observed. According to media reports, the US President wants to meet Prime Minister Micheal Martin and President Catherine Connolly in Dublin. Protests are expected.

Trump then travels to Doonbeg on the west coast, where he owns a golf course. The US President wants to watch the Irish Open golf tournament there on Sunday before traveling back to Washington.

With the visit, Trump once again mixed official duties with his personal interests. Residents of the region expressed anger at the disruption to security arrangements for the president. "He's causing chaos in this town because he wants to go to Doonbeg and play golf," said taxi driver Christopher Fox. “The world is in turmoil and this guy is playing golf.”

Student Mina Petrovski described Trump's attitudes toward women, immigrants and minorities in general as abhorrent. She said it was shameful that the Irish government welcomed him with open arms.

Last year, Trump traveled to Scotland for five days to play golf at his club in Turnberry. He later opened a new Trump golf course at Balmedie in Aberdeenshire. During this visit he held talks with then British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and the President of the EU Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.

Security precautions were significantly tightened before Trump's visit. A large drone was spotted over the east coast of Ireland on Tuesday and authorities are investigating the incident. Trump last visited Ireland in 2019 during his first term in office.