On his visit to Ireland Joe Biden looks like a big hit.
Biden said, without being ‘presumptuous’, he hoped that power sharing is soon restored.
He said: “I believe the democratic institution established in the Good Friday agreement remain critical to the future of Northern Ireland. It’s a decision for you to make, not for me to make …
“I hope the assembly and the executive will soon be restored. That’s a judgment for you to make, and I hope it happens, along with institutions that facilitate north/south and east/west relations, all of which are vital pieces of the Good Friday agreement.”
Arlene isn’t happy
Not everyone is happy with Biden’s appearance.
Dame Arlene Foster says she believes President Joe Biden “hates the United Kingdom”, claiming: “I just think the fact he’s coming here won’t put any pressure on the DUP, quite the reverse actually.”
US reaction
But her claims have been rubbished by Biden’s team.
Joe Biden is not anti-British, one of his most senior aides has said in response to accusations by the former Democratic Unionist party leader Arlene Foster that the US president “hates the UK”.
At a briefing in Belfast, Amanda Sloat, the special assistant to Biden and senior director for Europe at the national security council, denied the president’s Irish heritage made him biased against the British in relation to the continued deadlock over the devolved government in Stormont.
“I think the track record of the president shows that he is not anti-British. The president has been very actively engaged throughout his career dating back to when he was a senator in the peace process in Northern Ireland and that involved engagement with leaders of all of Northern Ireland parties from both of the two main communities,” she said.
Oh and this old photo might confuse the US team.
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