Trump says he's staying 2 nights at his Irish golf resort because 'it's convenient,' not to promote his club

Trump and Ireland's prime minister at Shannon Airport
(Image credit: Pool/Getty Images)

President Trump landed at Ireland's Shannon Airport on Thursday afternoon, had a slightly awkward joint press conference with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar in the airport's VIP lounge, discussed Brexit and other issues with Varadkar in a private meeting, then boarded a helicopter to travel the 40 miles to his golf resort in Doonbeg, County Clare. Trump will spend Wednesday night at the club, fly to Normandy on Thursday for France's D-Day 75th anniversary ceremony, fly back to Doonbeg to spend Thursday night, then fly back to Washington after an expected day of golf.

"Despite the odd geography of that schedule — which requires flying hundreds of miles west to Ireland, then hundreds more miles back east to France," The Washington Post notes, Trump said before the trip he was "going to be staying at Doonbeg in Ireland because it's convenient and it's a great place, but it's convenient."

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.