President Joe Biden arrived in Belfast, Northern Ireland Tuesday night via Air Force One to honor the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement which helped bring an end to “the Troubles,” the over 30 years of violence that plagued the country.
Security was tight as police said they discovered four suspected pipe bombs at a cemetery in Derry, about 70 miles from Belfast, a day after people threw gasoline bombs at police during Easter parades. Police also laid down a ring of steel and deployed armored cars in the city that experienced violence for decades. Meanwhile, Britain’s MI5 intelligence agency recently increased the threat level from domestic terrorism to “severe,” meaning there’s a high chance of an attack.
You can see the high levels of police protection as the president drove through town:
Video: Crowds cheer as President Biden arrives in #Belfast City Centre. pic.twitter.com/aC3elISSdh
— Aodhán Roberts (@AodhanRob) April 11, 2023
DailyMail reports on the goals of the visit:
As he flew out of Washington on Tuesday morning, Biden said the main aim of his four-day trip was to protect peace deals. ‘Keep your fingers crossed,’ he told reporters traveling with him on Air Force One….
The bulk of Biden’s visit will take him south of the border, to counties that were home to his ancestors, but his brief time in Northern Ireland will include a chance to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement and other deals that secured peace.
Traveling with him were Joseph Patrick Kennedy III, the U.S. envoy to Northern Ireland, Valerie Biden Owens, a close advisor, and… Hunter Biden. What exact business does the disgraced president’s son have on an official foreign delegation? No idea. DailyMail, however, thinks it’s a show of his contempt for the GOP:
The decision to bring his son also served as a defiant gesture to House Republicans, who are investigating Hunter’s business practices and the Biden family’s role in foreign deals.
He took Hunter with him. 🙄 pic.twitter.com/805i3sG5Yf
— Carry (@boatgirl3) April 11, 2023
One Twitter user had another great point: Biden can find the time to go to Northern Ireland—but he still hasn’t visited tragedy-stricken East Palestine, Ohio?
Biden flew 3,374 miles to Belfast today… but the 289 miles to East Palestine is still too far for him.
— Tim Young (@TimRunsHisMouth) April 11, 2023
It’s also interesting that Biden is able to make this trip, but he’s not willing to attend the upcoming coronation of King Charles III. The gossipy British outlet Express thinks they know why:
Joe Biden may want to miss King Charles’s Coronation as he was “slighted” at the Queen’s funeral, according to a royal expert. When the US President and the First Lady attended the sombre occasion in September of last year they were seated 14 rows back, something which royal expert Kinsey Schofield said left Biden “disappointed”.
The president was greeted on the tarmac by British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, but even that moment was problematic:
🚨 | NEW: Joe Biden appears to push Rishi Sunak out the way to greet someone else as he lands in Belfast pic.twitter.com/A84zk6Idlm
— Politics UK (@PolitlcsUK) April 11, 2023
Biden will have to attempt to avoid his trademark gaffes, according to reports:
While in Belfast, Biden, who has long been known for his pro-Irish views, has been warned to tread carefully for fear of offending unionists loyal to London and who are boycotting the province’s power-sharing government.
The president will meet leaders from five Northern Irish parties on Wednesday.
‘The president will have the opportunity to engage with the political parties of Northern Ireland before his speech,’ said John Kirby, the White House national security spokesperson.
The trip is expected to last four days.
UPDATE: This story has been updated to specify that Belfast is part of Northern Ireland.
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