Regardless of how you spend your St. Patrick’s Day, it’s not likely to be as awkward as the Friends of Ireland luncheon at the Capitol this year.

Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar found himself Thursday in close quarters with Speaker Nancy Pelosi and President Donald Trump, one day before the president vetoed a resolution Congress passed to terminate his national emergency declaration on the southern border. Amid all that, Trump found time to discuss Brexit, which the Irish are concerned will erect a hard border between Ireland and Northern Ireland. 

“This afternoon, we’re delighted to join all in welcoming Taoiseach, who I’ve gotten to know very well. My friend. We discussed a lot of things that were of great interest to all of us just a little while ago in the Oval Office. In particular, we talked about Brexit — something that’s turning out to be a little more complex than they thought it would be,” the president said. 

Sláinte!

Journalism’s best recruiter

Could it be that Trump has been actually good for journalism, fake news and enemy of the people and all? Why, yes, according to Christina Bellantoni, professor of journalism at the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism. Bellantoni, a former editor-in-chief of Roll Call, dropped by to talk about the crisis, and the opportunity, in present times. Her students, she tells the latest Political Theater Podcast, use Trump’s broadsides at the press as a motivator and challenge to do better. 

Listen here:

What a disaster

Something that could wait until after this coming week’s recess? A $14.2 billion aid package for a host of storms and other major disasters over the last two years. The House passed its version in January. The Senate has yet to figure out how it’s going to put it all together.

Totally normal photo these days