Trump United Ireland Call- reaction from leader of Sinn Fein

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Today with David McCullagh 17 min 1 speaker 4 chapters transcribed 2 hours ago

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What prompted Mary Lou McDonald to discuss President Trump’s comments on Irish unity?

David McCullagh 0:00

First this morning, Mary Lou MacDonald. Good morning, Jeff.

Mary Lou McDonald 0:03

Good morning, David.

David McCullagh 0:04

Uh thanks million for joining us. You are in Cardiff uh this morning and we're going to talk about why you're there uh in a moment. But could I start with uh President Trump? As the Tory MP Tom Tugat said we knew he was a Republican, just not that sort of Republican. Were you surprised by his remarks about Irish unity?

Mary Lou McDonald 0:21

Um well No, um, in as much as the United States has been A guarantor, a partner in building the peace process now for decades. The United States of America has a longstanding centuries old relationship not just with Ireland but with the Irish struggle for freedom. Um and and more to the point, I think anybody now looking at the political situation right across our island, looking at the level of progress and change that's underway. I think any sensible person reading the tea leaves would realize that almost thirty years after the historic Good Friday agreement, we're now in the business of writing the next chapter of Ireland's future. There will be referendums. And um he has made his position uh plain.

Mary Lou McDonald 1:18

Yeah, well, it's welcome and and it's helpful but not hugely unanticipated. So

David McCullagh 1:23

you're right, but it's the first time a president has said something a president of the United States has said something like that, I think.

Mary Lou McDonald 1:28

It's not a little bit. And that's obviously in the style of of the serving president. But people just need to remember that this is a longstanding um effort um b over successive administrations and a bipartisan basis for the United States to to back Ireland. And notwithstanding the very, very deep differences and the anger that I would feel, for example, in terms of the United States. and what's happening in Palestine, the genocide in Gaza, the settler violence on the West Bank, all of that needs to be named. And the US I I would hope would uh adopt the kind of constructive approach for peace building and justice and democracy that uh they've pursued in Ireland. That that's what they should be at in in Palestine.

Mary Lou McDonald 2:23

That's not the case, but nonetheless the president came and he said what he had to say and I I think it's it's somewhat ironic now that everybody uh is on the page of uh uh recognising that things have changed and are changing. The referendums are gonna happen, that Irish unity is the best destination, but we need to prepare for that.

How does the United States historically support the Irish peace process?

Mary Lou McDonald 2:45

Everybody it seems by the Taoiseach who I hear you're gonna have on uh later, so I hope that he was listening and he has been listening to domestic voices to people in the north, people in the south and now um and now way beyond that and perhaps he might change his position and actually get real on this question.

David McCullagh 3:04

Well we'll we'll be discussing those issues with the tee shot later. Uh President Trump of course said it did also say that Mi Hall Martin was the man to make progress on unity.

Mary Lou McDonald 3:12

Well, let's hope he's right. Um, who whoever the serving Taoiseach is, um, has an absolute duty and obligation to take care of the interests of Ireland and at the core of that is what our country can be like, should be like, will be like five years from now, ten years from now, a generation on. And you know, for anybody in in high political office to almost uh claim bragging rights on the fact that they will not countenance um constitutional change and all of the work that that is now, preparatory work that that requires, you know, that's not a good place to be. It's very clear the union with Britain is under uh pressure and challenge like never before from an Irish perspective. Also, I'm hearing Caritav

David McCullagh 3:56

to be

Mary Lou McDonald 3:56

To meet with the first ministers and leaders of the SNP and Ployd Cymru. So uh all of that is in play and we have made the case, David, you've heard me do it repeatedly to say what we need now is preparation, dialogue, inclusion. The hard yards need to be done now well in advance of any referendum.

David McCullagh 4:17

Yeah, I I wanna explore some of the some of what you've been saying there i in a little more detail. But before I leave, uh President Trump, do you welcome what he had to say?