US President Joe Biden is currently in Ireland, taking time out for the trip. In Northern Ireland, however, he was only short, which met with incomprehension from some Britons. A slip by Biden also caused problems on Thursday.
He had confused the New Zealand national rugby team All Blacks with a British paramilitary unit in the Irish War of Independence, the Black and Tans. This was immediately interpreted as partiality. The US president’s strong focus on Ireland has caused irritation. He was accused of being anti-British, so a government official defended him. Even British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak felt compelled to emphasize that Britain has a very close relationship with the US.
“Half Asleep in the UK”
A Daily Mail journalist complained that Biden spent only 15 hours in the UK and “half of that was asleep”. Biden visited Belfast, met the British Prime Minister there and gave a speech to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement. Immediately afterwards he traveled to Ireland. In the capital Dublin he already met President Michael D. Higgings and Prime Minister Leo Varadkar. Both the war in Ukraine and the peace process in Northern Ireland should play a role in the talks.
“It’s an honor to come home to the homeland of my ancestors,” Biden said in Dublin. On Wednesday, he shook hands in the town of Dundalk in North East Ireland, where his ancestors hail from, took selfies with residents and spoke in a pub. Several of the Catholic US president’s ancestors hail from Ireland – some from County Louth in the northeast, where Biden made his first extended stop on Wednesday. He will be accompanied on the journey by his son Hunter and his sister Valerie, among others.
Received with enthusiasm
Among other things, he took the time to visit a castle, walk through the inner city and visit pubs and grab a bite to eat. The residents received him with great enthusiasm. Spectators lined the streets with Irish and American flags. Residents of the places Biden visited had been baking, decorating and tidying up their shops — all hoping for a quick stop and chat with the president. His spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said on Thursday that the president was having “the time of his life”.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
