Trump congratulates Ireland’s first out gay Prime Minister for ‘great victory’
Donald Trump has congratulated Ireland’s first out gay Prime Minister Leo Varadkar on his “great victory”.
Speaking to the new Taoiseach this evening, the US President also invited the youngest Prime Minister in Ireland’s history to the White House for next St Patrick’s Day.
The “introductory” phone call between the two took place on Tuesday.
Video of President @realDonaldTrump on the phone with Taoiseach @campaignforleo Varadkar, congratulating on "great victory". @rtenews pic.twitter.com/7GSwD308sf
— Caitriona Perry (@CaitrionaPerry) June 27, 2017
Varadkar was earlier this month named as the country’s new Prime Minister after winning a leadership contest.
The country, which was once known for its strong Catholic values, has made a lot of progress on LGBT rights in the past few years.
A 2015 referendum brought equal marriage to the country, while it has also adopted progressive gender recognition laws.
Trump made the phone call with media present and was photographed behind his desk in the Oval Office.
An invitation for Trump to visit Ireland, extended by Varadkar’s predecessor Enda Kenny was not mentioned during the call, it is understood.
According to reports the pair spoke for fifteen minutes and discussed issues ranging from Brexit to climate change.
Trump said: “We have so many people from Ireland in this country. I know so many of them, I feel I know all of them.”
Mr Varadkar will become only the fourth openly gay head of government in recent global history.
There is only one other openly gay leader currently in office, Luxembourg’s PM Xavier Bettel.
President Trump in early June scrapped Pride Month celebrations at the White House.
He was later billed as a speaker at an anti-LGBT group’s event which takes place during Pride Month.
Varadkar last week pledged to speak up for LGBT rights across the world during a Pride event in Dublin.
The Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, spoke to a crowd of an estimated 30,000 people during Dublin Pride.
