Trump Declares Ireland Is Taking Advantage of US While Sitting Right Next to Country's Prime Minister

President Donald Trump stated that the entire European Union, including Ireland, has been taking advantage of the US while hosting Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin in Washington ahead of St. Patrick's Day during what many have described as an "awkward moment."

"The EU was set up in order to take advantage of the United States," said Trump to reporters during the meeting.

When one reporter asked if Ireland was also taking advantage of the US, Trump responded, "Of course they are."

"I have great respect for Ireland and what they did, and they should've done just what they did, but the United States shouldn't have let that happen. We had stupid leaders, we had leaders that didn't have a clue," he said.

He continued to complain about how US businesses were beginning to outsource to Ireland due to the nation's lower tax rates.

"All of a sudden, Ireland has, you know, our pharmaceutical companies... this beautiful island of 5 million people has got the entire US pharmaceutical industry in its grip. You mentioned housing and you mentioned other things, I mean I have property in Ireland and I love it. It does great," Trump continued.

The EU recently levied it's own retaliatory tariffs in response to tariffs implemented against them by the Trump administration. The tariffs, which have been implemented upon $28 billion worth of US imports, have been placed upon goods such as steel and aluminum, textiles, home goods, agricultural products, motorcycles, alcohol and jeans.

"As the U.S. are applying tariffs worth $28 billion, we are responding with countermeasures worth 26 billion euros," said EU Commission President Ursula von der Lyen. "We firmly believe that in a world fraught with geopolitical and economic uncertainties, it is not in our common interest to burden our economies with tariffs."

Originally published by Latin Times.