Former Canadian prime minister Brian Mulroney joined musician David Foster in singing a rendition of When Irish Eyes Are Smiling for American President Donald Trump.
The impromptu moment came about during a cancer benefit at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, and led the President to offer praise for our neighbors to the north.
While it may seem like a random song choice, Mulroney would be the first to point out the significance behind the tune – significance that takes on a greater role this President’s Day.
Mulroney, you see, joined the late, great President Reagan and the leader’s wives in belting out the song during the so-called Shamrock Summit in 1985.
Via the Toronto Star:
This time, it was Foster who coaxed the Mulroney onstage for what appeared to be an impromptu performance at a cancer fundraiser at Mar-a-Lago, the private club owned by Trump that also serves as his Florida home.
The news report above is fascinating to hear with the backdrop of current events, particularly talk of concerns that America was becoming a fortress and that Canada was concerned that “the walls are going up.”
The importance of that Summit can not be overstated.
De-classified documents from the U.S. National Security Council indicated that officials saw the 1985 Quebec City meeting between Mulroney and Reagan as a key turning point in relations with its northern neighbors.
In remarks at the Reagan Centennial, Mulroney said: “Reagan was such an exceptional fellow” and a “transforming leader … a man who saw his own country as a shining city on a hill.”
President Trump feels the same way, having borrowed his ‘Make America Great Again’ slogan from the late, great Reagan.
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