Food there was a plenty as the White House celebrated St. Patrick’s Day in style. The tables were loaded as the President Donald Trump met Ireland’s Prime Minister Micheál Martin. But even though the Irish cheer was high, some people questioned the festivities while the country was struggling during a partial government shutdown and soldiers were fighting a war in Iran.
Mint reports that a clip shared by Benny Johnson, a content creator, showed some of the delicacies they enjoyed. Set on a large table, there was an assortment of finger foods set out. And many of them were Irish favorites.
From pastries to desserts, there was an abundance of food laid out for guests to enjoy. The clip showed many of the green-themed dishes such as salad and shamrock cookies with green icing. Even the White House itself was decked out in its St. Patrick’s Day best thanks to Melania Trump.
Irish spread at the White House 🇺🇸 ☘️ pic.twitter.com/zDVIbI5w0c
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) March 18, 2026
Some of the feast included salmon blinis — sourced from Ireland, Irish grass-fed cheeses, beer bread molded into shamrocks, and miniature reubens. Of course, no Irish feast would be complete without drinks.The White House came through with its Guinness and Irish whiskeys. Not forgetting the Irish coffee stations with the signature drinks.
Online, people were quick to react to the celebration. Many people were outraged that the White House would even consider entertaining while soldiers were on the frontlines in Iran. Others felt that the spread was extravagant in the midst of a shutdown and affordability crisis.
“So our troops are being deployed in the Middle East and you’re here enjoying a food spread at the White House?” one noted. Another wrote, “The White House doing St. Patrick’s Day properly, that spread looks like it took more planning than some foreign policy decisions.”
Still on the topic of the war, a third said, “Must be nice wish they were as serious about what’s going on in the country and Iran as they are about their st.patrick day party.”
The U.S. is also experiencing its second government shutdown in less than six months. Democrats are refusing to fund DHS unless Trump makes some concessions around immigration policies.
May God bless the people of Ireland and may God bless the United States of America! 🇮🇪🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/Ouytlo72zb
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) March 18, 2026
In a stark reminder about the partial shutdown, one person posted, “Let them eat cake.” By using Marie Antoinette’s famous line, they seemed to be underscoring how disconnected the Trump administration was from its people.
“I wish my family could eat like this,” a commenter said. The simple message seemed to resonate with many as they liked the comment.
The White House also shared a reel about how they paid tribute to the Irish the previous day. Captioned “May God Bless the people of Ireland and may God bless the United States of America,” it showed how the Americans put on an Irish spread for the annual St. Patrick’s Day reception.
In a voiceover on the clip, Trump said that not only did the Irish come to America, they “helped found America.” And it then showed highlights of the day that Martin and Trump spent together. Not only did they talk politics, but they took some time out to eat and enjoyed some Irish dancing too.
But netizens were confused by the St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. Many of them couldn’t reconcile how the White House and Trump could entertain while fighting a war in and outside the country.
