JD Vance: Donald Trump's pick for vice-president admonished Ireland over plans for new 'hate crime' law and likened it to Chinese or Iranian oppression
The man who may soon be US vice-president has sharply criticised Irish plans to introduce more "hate crime" laws, likening the proposals to something from China or Iran.
JD Vance, who was selected as Donald Trump's co-contender for the upcoming election in America on Monday, wrote to the Irish ambassador in Washington to voice fears about the "troubling" plans.
Mr Vance's background has come in for close scrutiny since he was announced as Mr Trump's running mate on Monday; if Mr Trump wins the November election he will be inaugurated as president in January, with Mr Vance as his second-in-command.
As already reported, Mr Vance has previously spoken about his harsh upbringing in troubled a "Scots-Irish" family.
And recent news reports show him to be critical of the UK Labour Party.
The News Letter has now come across a letter from December, where he added his voice to an international chorus against the planned "hate crime" bill in Ireland.
"This week I wrote to the ambassador of Ireland over some troubling trends in their country," he tweeted at the time.
"Ireland is a beautiful country with wonderful people.
"I hope they don’t destroy ancient liberties out of a desire to eliminate 'offensive' ideas."
In his letter he called the planned law "vague", saying: "The United States routinely condemns similar censorious conduct from China, Myanmar or Iran…
"I am alarmed that one of our closest friends, a democracy dedicated to upholding cherished freedoms, should undertake such legislation."
He added: "If the bill becomes law, what steps will you take to ensure that Ireland's departure from fundamental values like the freedom of expression does not damage its relationship with the United States?"
So what is in Ireland's bill?
Well, it is sometimes said that it exists because the Republic has no specific laws that deal with hate crimes – but that is inaccurate.
In 1989, the Prohibition of Incitement To Hatred Act made it an offence to "use words" which "are threatening, abusive or insulting and are intended or, having regard to all the circumstances, are likely to stir up hatred".
This applies to "race, colour, nationality, religion, ethnic or national origins, membership of the travelling community or sexual orientation".
It even applies in someone's own house if a person outside your house can hear or see the offending words.
It is a defence under this existing law if a person can "prove that he did not intend the words, behaviour or material concerned to be – and was not aware that they might be – threatening, abusive or insulting".
The new law is known as the Criminal Justice (Incitement to Violence or Hatred and Hate Offences) Bill 2022.
It would essentially extend such protections to cover transgender and "non-binary" people.
To count as a crime under the new act, the offender must merely be "reckless" as to whether hatred is incited.
It would also make it a crime to "condone, deny or grossly trivialise genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and crimes against peace".
The new bill would also allow judges to sentence people more harshly for crimes if there is a "hate" element to them.
Every significant Irish party supported the new bill until recently, despite widespread popular opposition.
But when Sinn Fein announced a u-turn earlier this year and said they would oppose it, it was seen as massively damaging its prospects for success.
Not long afterward the bill's main champion, Leo Varadkar, left office, ushering in a new leader, Simon Harris.
It remains to be seen if the bill will ever be pursued now.