Eric Trump talks politics and protests in Clare interview

Eric Trump, the son of US President Donald Trump, has said he hoped his father's meeting with President Catherine Connolly tomorrow goes exceptionally well.

Speaking on RTÉ's Drivetime programme from Doonbeg in Co Clare today, Mr Trump said he did not understand those who were planning on protesting against his father's visit to Ireland tomorrow.

"Most of the time, the vast majority of time, half the people are paid to actually protest," Mr Trump claimed.

Asked about how Mr Trump's meeting with President Catherine Connolly tomorrow was likely to go, Mr Trump said "Honestly, I leave it to them."

"I've seen so much political nonsense bravado over the last 12 years, where one day two people hate each other and the next day the two people are hugging and singing Kumbaya."

He said his father was "willing to open his arms to anyone, and he's also willing to go head to head with anyone".

He said he hoped the meeting goes exceptionally well.

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Asked about whether some protesters might be influenced by rising fuel prices in the wake of the US war in Iran, Mr Trump said, "I think people need to look at their own politicians, their own policies and politicians.

"Europe has done a terrible job, and it hurts me to say this, but they have done a terrible job in terms of energy independence."

Mr Trump criticised the efficiency of wind energy and defended fracking.

In a wide-ranging interview, Eric Trump also discussed the US midterm elections and strongly defended his father and family against accusations of corruption.

Asked if he was worried about the upcoming US midterms, Mr Trump said people wanted to vote for Donald Trump - not necessarily Republicans.

"When he's not directly on the ticket, I think there's a lot of people who just don't want to turn out because their guy's physically not there."

He insisted Donald Trump was serious about giving Americans $5,000 each if the Republicans win and denied it would bankrupt America.

Asked about the benefits the Trump family has derived from the current US administration, Mr Trump passionately defended his father and the Trump family.

He said: "Katie, first of all, this whole interview is supposed to be about golf.

"They tried to throw my father in jail... 91 felony convictions for bull... and I won't say the last word because we're on the radio. They tried to lock him up and throw away the keys because he was a threat to the political system in the United States.

"They tried to bankrupt a company that owns golf courses and great hotels around the world and employs phenomenal people, including here in Ireland. And hopefully you can get back to actually talking about why we're here as opposed to this nonsense."

Eric Trump referenced the attempted assassinations of Donald Trump and said the family have suffered in recent years.

"The way they tried to cancel us, the way they went after us, the hundreds of millions of dollars worth of legal bills, the nonsense judgments that we had to have overturned - there's no one that sacrificed more monetarily ever, ever, than Donald Trump going into political office."

"If there's one person who didn't need politics, it was Donald Trump. If there's one person who does not need to be doing this interview right now, it's me. Truly, I get absolutely zero out of taking the time to sit down with you right now.

"Believe me, we didn't do it for that purpose," he said.

He said he knew that both he and his father had "major target on their heads" and that his children's lives were forever changed.

Asked who was best placed to carry on the MAGA torch after Donald Trump's term in office concludes, Eric Trump said both US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US Vice President JD Vance were "great men who are incredibly capable. I would love to see either of them do it".

When pressed as to whether he would ever run for office, he said: "I'm certainly not ruling out the possibility that another Trump at some point, you know, possibly takes a run at it."

Eric Trump said politics could be brutal but added: "I don't rule anything out in life, but I can tell you it is a thankless job and you better be ready."