US president Joe Biden has said that Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin made the most “devastating comment” following his election.
Mr Biden spoke about how the world views post-Trump America, in conversation with New York Times columnist David Brooks, according to the Irish Examiner.
Mr Biden said a comment made by the Taoiseach drove home his new view that the world is starting to look elsewhere, to places such as China, where previously America would have led the way.
"The most devastating comment made after I was elected - it wasn't so much about me - but it was by the Irish Taoiseach saying 'Well, America can't lead. They can't even get their arms around Covid',” he said.
The two leaders have enjoyed a positive relationship since Mr Biden was elected last year, with the 46th US president repeatedly voicing his commitment to the Good Friday Agreement in the wake of Brexit.
Irish roots
Mr Biden's Irish roots were also discussed in the conversation with Mr Brooks about the shaping of the president’s world view.
Speaking about his childhood and how his father struggled for much of his life after he returned from World War II, Mr Biden spoke about the importance of human dignity — something he said he believes Irish people place a high value on.
"I think it’s because when you’ve been deprived of dignity you put a high, high premium on it," he said.
He recalled that in midcentury America "to be Irish was to be second class" and added that "the English owned the town".
Since his election in November 2020, Mr Biden has yet to visit Ireland or meet Mr Martin in person due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Next month, he will make his first overseas trip when he visits England for a G7 summit and Brussels for a Nato summit. There are currently no official plans for the US president to visit Ireland.
