Beto O'Rourke has lots of hand motions, Trump says alongside Irish leader
President Trump met with Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar at the White House Thursday.
Mr. Trump commented on an array of things in the Oval Office Wednesday alongside Varadkar, including the newly announced Democratic presidential contender Beto O'Rourke. Mr. Trump said he has a lot of hand movements.
"Well I think he's got a lot of hand movement, I've never seen so much hand movement," the president told reporters. "I said is he crazy or is that just the way he acts? So I've never seen hand movement – I watched him a little while this morning – doing I assume it was some kind of a news conference. And I've actually never seen anything quite like it. Study it. I'm sure you'll agree."
Mr. Trump also commented on Brexit, and said things are difficult with the European Union. The St. Patrick's Day week visit comes after British lawmakers voted against Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit proposal. Mr. Trump, asked about Brexit, said the issue is "tearing countries apart" and he was surprised "how badly" things have done.
"I think it could have been negotiated in a different manner," he told reporters.
Mr. Trump also addressed an Irish lunch at the Capitol to commemorate St. Patrick's Day and the Irish leader's visit.
"That's a good thing, the luck of the Irish," Mr. Trump said.
Varadkar had breakfast with Pence earlier in the day. Varadkar, openly gay and the biracial son of an Indian immigrant, took office in 2017. During the breakfast with Pence, Varadkar said, "I stand here leader of my country flawed and human but judged by my political actions and not by my sexual orientation" or anything else.
The Trump-Varadkar meeting also comes after Mr. Trump announced the grounding of all Boeing 737 Max planes, and as he waits for the Senate to, in all likelihood, vote for a resolution disapproving of his national emergency declaration. Enough Republicans have publicly announced defections to pass the resolution, teeing up the first veto of Mr. Trump's presidency.
Mr. Trump is urging Republicans to stay united, but Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, among those voting for the resolution, says there could be as many as 10 Republicans who vote against the president.
"A big National Emergency vote today by The United States Senate on Border Security & the Wall (which is already under major construction). I am prepared to veto, if necessary," Mr. Trump tweeted Thursday morning. "The Southern Border is a National Security and Humanitarian Nightmare, but it can be easily fixed!"