Phelim McAleer: Irish America is dead - or at least is in hospice care - in this new era of Donald Trump
President Trump has had a busy 100 days hiring, and more importantly, firing the bad people and bad ideas that have infected America in recent years.
There is a chaotic feel to the moment with house prices falling in the Washington DC area as overpaid, ‘diversity’ grievance mongers are being told their services are no longer required.
As such there is almost no talk about the annual St Patrick's Day party/reception at the White House. It is a major event, normally. No other country gets the full run of the White House for a day. It is a sign of just how important the Irish-American community and vote was to the DC political class.
But these are not normal times and Irish America is dead or at very least is in hospice care. And President Donald Trump will probably accelerate its demise. We are witnessing the end of Irish America as a power bloc in American political life. And not a moment too soon.
Not so long ago Irish-Americans were solid Democrats and the White House party was seen as a way of keeping them onside.
Now that is all gone. There are a lot less people identifying as Irish American and there are very few immigrants coming from Ireland (thanks to a change in the law promoted by Democrats that favoured immigration from Latin America).
And the Irish Americans were always conservative Democrats. In an election that was dominated by abortion and ‘trans rights’ (the right to mutilate children) it is no surprise that Irish Americans are more likely to support the Republican party these days. Fox News host Sean Hannity and America’s most popular podcaster Joe Rogan are among many Irish-American Trumpers. And the only member of the Kennedy dynasty currently in American public life is Robert F Kennedy who has just been appointed to Trump's cabinet. And none of them have made anything of their Irish background. The old Tip O’Neill/Teddy Kennedy Irish american power bloc is gone and Ireland's influence in DC is leaving with it.
This shift seems to have gone unnoticed by a lot of Ireland’s politicians. They still think there is an Irish America and that the administration cares about it.
And so Sinn Fein leaders north and south have announced, grandly and publicly, that they won’t be attending this year's St Patrick’s Day party because of America’s support for Israel. And no one in DC noticed. That is probably good news for SF because as I said the mood in DC at the moment is very much against Sinn Fein style grievance mongers.
Also attacking Israel, America’s closest ally, for defending itself from a vicious attack that killed 1,200 men, women and children is not a way to win friends and influence people in Trump’s America.
Micheal Martin the Taoiseach and Simon Harris the minister for Foreign Affairs, who are awaiting invites, have both insulted President Trump in the recent past. But again no one seems to have noticed. The American indifference to Ireland is striking.
During his first term I was lucky enough to spend almost an hour with President Trump in the Oval Office . I had prepared by reading up about his Irish business interests expecting him to start a conversation about Ireland and or Irish politics. I even wore an embarrassing tweed jacket to emphasise my Irishness. Well we talked about a lot. Our conversation covered his foreign policy regarding Iran, his love of Melania, the low standards of the media and a guided tour of the exact locations where Bill Clinton used to “discuss matters of state” with his intern Monica Lewinsky. But he never once asked or talked about Ireland or Irish politics. He didn't talk about the St Patrick's Day party which was in a few weeks. It was not important to him.
Ireland is now known as the most anti-semitic country in Europe and its economy is very dependent on American companies basing themselves there – exporting jobs and profits from the US.
This was not an issue under sleepy Joe Biden. But there is a new sheriff in town. And he is strongly pro-Israel and determined to bring American investment and jobs back to the US. There is no enthusiasm in DC for the St Patrick’s Day party. The invites have not even gone out. Irish politicians are hoping for this to change. But they should be careful what they wish for. If President Trump’s attention turns to Ireland, and he notices an anti-Semitic country “stealing American jobs and investment” ,a lacklustre St Patrick’s Day party will be the least of their worries.
• Phelim McAleer is a Co Tyrone born journalist/producer working in Los Angeles. @PhelimMcAleer