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US VICE PRESIDENT Joe Biden continued his visit to Ireland today by taking in visits to Trinity College and Dublin Castle.
And America’s second-in-command took the opportunity to take aim at another American who was spending the day on this side of the Atlantic – Donald Trump.
In introducing Biden at Dublin Castle, Taoiseach Enda Kenny got quite a cheer for saying that Ireland’s relationship with the UK will endure the Brexit vote. Not as great a cheer as he did for mentioning Robbie Brady’s goal against Italy mind you.
Biden, fresh from receiving an honorary doctorate from Trinity College (during which he insisted that America’s ‘special bond’ with the UK following yesterday’s Brexit vote will endure), took the opportunity to fire a thinly-veiled barb at the presumptive Republican nominee for November’s American presidential election.
Biden also took note of the fact that Pride is happening in Dublin tomorrow by recounting a story about how he and his father saw two men kissing in 1959 or 1960.
Órla Ryan / TwitterHuge cheer for Biden when he mentions the 'equal rights' called for in Irish proclamation,and the fact Pride is happening in Dublin tomorrow
— Órla Ryan (@orlaryan) June 24, 2016
“Joey, it’s easy, they love each other,” Biden said his father told him.
The Vice President cited the fact that ‘equal rights’ are called for in the Irish Proclamation of Independence.
“My parents never forgot where they came from,” he said.
Every time I’d walk out the door my father would say: ‘remember Joe, the best drop of blood in you is Irish.
Órla Ryan / TwitterBiden: Some politicians want to divide us and build walls, it is NOT who we are.
— Órla Ryan (@orlaryan) June 24, 2016
Presumably in reference to Trump, Biden derided the “un-American” response of “reactionary politicians and demagogues” who blame immigrants for a country’s woes.
“It is un-American what we have been seeing. It is not who we have become. It is not who we are,” he said.
We’re defined by a common creed that says our children, if they work hard, if they’re loyal, they can live a better life than the generation before them… it’s a belief shared by the vast majority of immigrant families that have come to the United States.
Today is the fourth day of the Vice President’s six-day visit, rounded off with a visit to the Ireland Funds Conference at Dublin’s Stephen’s Green.
MerrionStreet.ie / TwitterTaoiseach @EndaKennyTD greets @VP Joe Biden on his arrival to the #IrelandFundsConf pic.twitter.com/qcRcw7W1hG
— MerrionStreet.ie (@merrionstreet) June 24, 2016
Tomorrow Biden will visit various locations in Co Louth and Co Meath, including the passage grave at Newgrange.
The Vice President returns to America on Sunday.
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Donald Trump and Boris Johnson represent a style of politics which is based on appeal to fear and to prejudice.
Ye Ye Ye we’ve heard it all before. It’s you that’s afraid of a Wall you little cupcake
Spit fear and hatred and you will conquer. I would say apparently but we’ve just witnessed it. Sadly.
Yet it was Obama who stated the UK would be at the back of the queue in trade negotiations and has now reversed his position almost immediately.
Meanwhile our own government who spoke over the last few weeks of the disaster that the Brexit would have on Anglo-Irish relations and now are stating that if Britain were to impose restrictions on free movement of people between our two countries or tariffs on trade, that Ireland would have a legal case against the UK. Both sides engage in scaremongering to get their way.
All of this is just early stage positioning, feeling out potential options in a new situation. The negotiators often don’t take these early stage overtures and sabre rattling seriously.
Trump and Boris Johnson are also winners who win bigly.
Everyone in the MSM was saying that Britain would remain in the EU, that the leave campaign was way behind, even the bookmakers had the remain side at ridiculously short odds.
The media propaganda campaign was relentless in its fear mongering, it got out all their celebrity pimps like David Beckham and Bob Geldof to try and influence the British public into staying. The Jo Cox murder was milked to maximum affect.
All their biased opinion polls were giving a resounding victory to the remain side. Well we all know what happened next. They gave it as a marginal victory but many Brits reckon it was a landslide that they could not rig.
You are now seeing the same pattern emerge with Donald Trump’s bid to become president of the United States. The MSM are vilifying him at every opportunity, saying his campaign is falling apart. (very wishful thinking on their part)That Hillary is streaking ahead in the polls, the bookmakers have her at ridiculously short odds too.
Celebrity goons like George Clooney and others are being dragged out to publicly rebuke Trump’s candidacy. Every dirty little trick is being manufactured to conceal the truth and that is that Trump is running away with this
By manipulating the coarser emotions and by using highly effective appeal to bigotry.
The way the skies opened up today, I actually thought that the world could be ending.
When every billionaire was pleading for them to stay it was a sure enough sign the right thing was to leave. The world won’t end only these parasites will take slightly longer to make their next billion.
Correct me if i’m wrong, but Norway is a very prosperous land. They are European but not EU. Iceland too. Have Europe not screwed us? The ecb and the imf and all that craic? Greece is selling territory, unless that story was a wind up. Are we willing to sell Erin and to the highest bidder? Trump would level Newgrange and build a hotel on the site if the fiend could get away with it. Our Seas also. How are Irish fishermen struggling when we practically own the Atlantic. Bring back our pirate queen.
Well that’s the hard left for you They all supported Brexit
Trump urged Britain to leave the EU Jamie.
For all the wrong reasons, Ziggy.
Such as?
So he could build a golf course for his fat pals in beautiful Scotland and ruin an ancient farm and eco-system in the process. What a guy.
Same smug chancer apparently said regarding Doonbeg, “My children can play with it”. It’s hard to take this chap for real, but this is the world we live in.
Can’t Stump the Trump #TrumpTrain
Unoriginal political sloganeering is the just mindless old guff from the mentally vacuous.
Trump is not our friend Ziggy.
Lol…says a few nice words, has the biggest propaganda machine im the world to back it up and people lap it up….The truth is that if we were living in even close to a moral and just world then that guy would be doing a long stretch behind bars.
Aldi are doing a special on those “honorary doctorates from Trinity College”.
Trump, Boris Johnson, Nigel Farage and their supporters are negative campaigners. They are opposed to various policies but they offer no positive vision and detailed outline of a better future. They fit the bill as reactionaries.
Good political leaders offer a blueprint for the future, a structure and coheren set of policies.
There is much wrong with politics today and there is much to protest against but what is that we want as a better society?
It’s called democracy Michael if you don’t like it move to North Korea.
And me thinking that he was here to get the Irish American vote for Hillary by party association?
Will he be kissing Bishops rings here and in the U.S. later too?
Biden your time.
We have our own versions here too tbf that are mad to get power but it would be freighting if they got it
Did he not go to Doonbeg for a game of Golf.
Ye spotted Air Force 1 in dublin airport 2 days ago,massive security around it ,nice to see it though
I’m pretty sure Enda didn’t get “quite the cheer” but Biden!
have your say