This Day in Trump, Day 56: A New Budget, a Visit From Irish Leaders

WASHINGTON -- On Thursday, President Donald Trump introduced his first budget blueprint, which would increase defense spending while slashing the budgets for nearly everything else. He spent most of the day with a delegation of Ireland’s top political leaders, who visited Washington to celebrate the upcoming St. Patrick’s Day.And although Trump’s tweets throughout the day were celebratory and positive, he did get criticism on Twitter from an unusual source: the fast-food chain McDonald’s corporate Twitter account.Here’s what you need to know.Highlight of the dayThe main story dominating the headlines on Thursday was Trump’s budget proposal, which called for deep cuts across nearly every government agency. The plan would slash the Environmental Protection Agency’s budget the furthest, reducing it by more than 30 percent, but it also included massive cuts to the departments of State, Agriculture, and Labor.At the same time, the $1.1 trillion spending plan called for a nine percent increase to military spending and asked for a $78.9 billion budget for Veterans Affairs, which would swell the agency’s budget to its largest size in at least 40 years.Trump also asked Congress for $4.1 billion to begin construction of a border wall, but didn’t include any explanation of how he would fulfill one of his major campaign promises: to force Mexico to pay for it.As Congress began to review the budget blueprint, Trump spent most of the day with the head of the Irish government, Taoiseach Enda Kenny.Trump and Kenny praised the relationship between the United States and Ireland at a luncheon with Speaker of the House Paul Ryan.“We’re here today to celebrate America’s commitment to Ireland and the tremendous contributions -- and I know it well -- the Irish immigrants and their descendants have made right here in the United States and throughout the world,” Trump said.“Let me say that Ireland and the European Union will never be anything but a friend to your country, to these United States here,” Kenny told Trump.During his remarks, Kenny also encouraged Trump to support immigration reform. There are an estimated 50,000 Irish citizens living illegally in the United States.“It would remove a burden of so many people that they can stand out in the light and say, ‘now I am free to contribute to America as I know I can,’” Kenny said. “That’s what people want.”Trump and Kenny also talked about the golf course Trump owns in Doonbeg, in the County Clare of Ireland, Kenny said.“Titleist, 9-degree loft, Doonbeg, wind off the Atlantic,” Kenny laughed. “You have to roll the wrist at the top to get that shot straight.”Tweeter in chiefOver the course of Thursday, Trump took to Twitter to promote his budget plan and share a video of Kenny’s visit to Washington. Trump also reassured his followers that the plan to repeal and replace Obamacare was going smoothly.  Continue reading...