Taoiseach Leo Varadkar’s invitation to US President Donald Trump to visit Ireland is a betrayal of Irish values, the Social Democrats said today.

The party’s co-leader Róisín Shortall TD said:

“The Taoiseach‘s decision to invite President Trump to Ireland is a betrayal of the values that Irish people hold dear. President Trump is an aggressive nationalist and protectionist whose policies and approaches to international relations undermine international cooperation and threaten global security, trade and environmentalism.

Co-leader Catherine Murphy TD added:

“By inviting the US president on an official state visit, Leo Varadkar is legitimising his narrow and divisive brand of politics. This is a hypocritical gesture from the Taoiseach, who was himself originally opposed to any such invite, and has not explained to the Irish people why he has had such a dramatic change of heart. Any visit to Ireland by President Trump will be strongly protested by the Social Democrats.”

ENDS

14 March 2018

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