Irish Prime Minister Met Secretly With Obama While On Visit To See Trump

The Prime Minister of Ireland had a private meeting with former President Barack Obama while on an official visit earlier this year. Leo Varadkar was making his annual St. Patrick’s Day visit to the United States in March. The Irish prime minister always visits the sitting president.

Varadkar met Obama in a private  meeting, revealed in the Irish media on Tuesday. Irish officials were concerned that the meeting would upset Trump, who has often lashed out at Obama and at foreign leaders he dislikes.

The Irish Times newspaper reports that Varadkar met with several members of the Obama administration, including former Vice President Joe Biden, who is now the front runner for the Democratic presidential nomination. The meeting was kept secret, though officially it was merely ‘undisclosed’.

Trump will visit Ireland on Wednesday, his first visit since becoming president. The news that the Irish prime minister met with Obama earlier this year could rankle Trump, who has been tweeting throughout his state visit to the United Kingdom. The revelation could make for an awkward meeting.

Ireland has long enjoyed a close relationship with the US and US presidents from both parties have been well-received in the country. However, Irish governments have unofficially favored Democratic administrations, along with a majority of Irish citizens.