US President Donald Trump drew laughter from an audience in Dublin after joking about why First Lady Melania Trump had not joined him on his trip to Ireland, telling the crowd she considered herself "very friendly" with Irish officials but had baulked at the seven-hour flight. The remark came as Trump landed in Dublin to meet business leaders and attend the Irish Open golf tournament at his Doonbeg resort, with aide Natalie Harp prominently at his side throughout the visit, a detail that has attracted attention given recent controversy surrounding her.

Trump met Irish President Catherine Connolly before addressing business leaders at the US ambassador's residence, with Harp, his executive assistant known for carrying a portable printer, greeting officials alongside him. Harp has faced scrutiny after reports emerged that she and two other aides received a combined $135,000 in personal cash gifts from Trump, prompting an ethics complaint to the US Office of Government Ethics; the White House has defended the gifts as personal and unrelated to official duties. Melania Trump's spokesman dismissed speculation about the relationship as media exaggeration, while the First Lady had separately attended a 9/11 anniversary commemoration at the Pentagon on the Friday before the trip.