...By Solomon Thomas for TDPel Media.
Ex-leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, Arlene Foster, has criticised US President Joe Biden, stating that he has a history of offending unionists in Northern Ireland.
Foster’s comments follow a gaffe by Biden, who mistakenly referred to the All Blacks rugby team as the Black and Tans. Foster, who is now a GB News presenter, claimed that Biden has a disdain for the UK, particularly when it comes to his Irish roots.
Although Foster acknowledged that Biden was diplomatic in his recent visit to Belfast, she claimed that his record on Northern Irish matters should be acknowledged, pointing out that he has opposed attempts to extradite IRA suspects back from America to Northern Ireland, and has made several comments deemed offensive to people living in Northern Ireland who uphold the British tradition.
According to Foster, Biden’s remarks about the Black and Tans imply a certain mindset regarding what happened in Ireland.
The Black and Tans were a group of recruited forces brought in during the Irish War of Independence, who were mostly from Great Britain and served in World War One.
They were hated by Irish republicans and to this day, Irish republicans sing songs about the Black and Tans.
Foster added that Biden’s comments about his cousin who played for the Irish rugby team and his mother refusing to sleep in a bed that the Queen slept in are examples of past comments that have been offensive to unionists in Northern Ireland.
Biden was in Ireland last week and gave a speech at the Irish Parliament, making him only the fourth US President to address the parliament.
He spoke about the strength of Irish-US ties, promising a future of unlimited shared possibilities.
Foster claimed that Biden’s gaffes, coupled with his record on Northern Irish matters, are causing concerns that he could enrage unionists.
