WILL TRUMP GET A CEAD MILE FAILTE?
Kenny’s invite to US president forces Leo to U-turn over his opposition to visit... and TDs promise huge protests
ENDA Kenny has invited US President Donald Trump to visit Ireland – leaving his successor as Taoiseach with an enormous political headache.
Opposition was already growing to the invitation last night, with TDs promising: ‘He will be met with huge protests.’
The firm political hostility follows an Irish Daily Mail poll, as recently as January, that showed half the nation doesn’t want the US president to come here – with as many as two thirds of women firmly against the idea.
The Taoiseach had previously refused to be drawn on whether he would invite President Trump on an official State visit. However it is a headache the Fine Gael leader will not have to deal with personally, as he is expected to step down after his US visit.
Instead, it forced leadership frontrunner Leo Varadkar to
back down on previous comments. When asked if he would support a visit he then replied: ‘I wouldn’t. I am not sure what purpose it would serve.’ However, last night, the Social Protection Minister declared: ‘The Taoiseach’s invitation stands. Ireland has deep ties with the US, regardless of who is president or taoiseach.’
He insisted: ‘I’ve made clear my views that the right approach is always to engage with someone who has been elected democratically.’
His main Fine Gael rival Simon Coveney previously said he would have no problem extending an invitation to Mr Trump. However, Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin, another potential taoiseach, has previously been harshly critical of Mr Trump.
Neither men responded to questions from the Irish Daily Mail yesterday, on whether their opinions had changed.
President Trump is already expected to get a stormy reception in June on his state visit to Britain, which has sparked huge opposition and online petitions demanding it be called off.
The Irish visit will come ‘during his presidency’, most likely in 2019 or 2020, possibly aimed at boosting his re-election chances in the latter year. ‘I’ll be there, absolutely,’ the president said yesterday, while seated alongside Mr Kenny in the Oval Office, ‘I love Ireland. I really love Ireland.’ He added that the Taoiseach was his ‘new best friend’ and that the strong bonds between Ireland and the US were ‘going to be closer than ever before’.
However, Labour leader Brendan Howlin denounced the invitation, saying: ‘Trump’s values are not our values, and there should be no welcome mat laid out for a man of his world view.’
TDs from Solidarity, formerly the Anti-Austerity Alliance, promised protests. Paul Murphy TD said: ‘Donald Trump won’t be welcomed in Ireland by the vast majority of people who oppose his racist, sexist agenda. He has already had to reschedule a trip to the United Kingdom because of the force of opposition to his visit and the huge protests he was going to face.’
Mick Barry TD said: ‘We want to send a clear message to Donald Trump that he will be met with huge protests of young people, women and migrants who oppose his policies. He should reconsider his travel plans.’
And Social Democrats co-leader Catherine Murphy said: ‘We said all along that we wanted to know what Enda Kenny intended to say when he got to the White House. He never gave Irish people the courtesy of letting them know his intentions and instead we now find ourselves with him excusing racism and going a step further and formally inviting the president to visit Ireland. The Social Democrats will strongly oppose it.’
But the Taoiseach was gushing in his praise of the US president, at the shamrock presentation last night. He said: ‘I want to sincerely thank President Trump for so graciously continuing this great tradition of hospitality which means so much to us all.’
He added: ‘I am proud to have the opportunity to contribute to maintaining and developing relations between Ireland and the United States, particularly at the beginning of a new era in our relationship following your election, Mr President. Let me congratulate you and wish you the very best as you begin your term of office.’
Mr Kenny told President Trump: his job was ‘exceptionally demanding and difficult’ and that he held ‘the hopes and future of America, and indeed the world, in your hands’. He added: ‘I want to thank the president for giving so much of his time to this visit... Tonight, I thank you, Mr President for your warm hospitality. We treasure the Irish-American relationship. I wish you, the First Lady Melania and your lovely family every good wish and blessing on this special day. ‘God bless Ireland and God bless the United States of America.’
Earlier, Mr Kenny said: ‘We had a good, friendly and constructive engagement. The president referred to hospitality, and he is very well acquainted with the golf courses of Ireland.
‘Very finally I said to him, “You know in Ireland invitations are always returned, and so during the course of his presidency of the United States, I asked him to come to Ireland, and that will take place at some time during his presidency.’
The poll by Ireland Thinks for the Irish Daily Mail in January showed that 50% of Irish people would not want the Government to extend an invitation to Mr Trump, while 50% would.
‘Trump’s values are not our values’ ‘I want to sincerely thank the president’