Donald Trump has taken a wrecking ball to the institutions that prop up the government’s foundation and cracked the pillars of the Justice Department, the Supreme Court, and the Legislative Branch. One of those institutions is the annual St. Patrick’s Day lunch. This is how it unfolded.
One of the capitol’s oldest bipartisan traditions began in 1983. House Speaker Tip O’Neill (D-MA) invited President Ronald Reagan (R) over to the Capitol for this lunch. Since then, the Speaker has scheduled the lunch around the Taoiseach of Ireland coming to America, which was set for Thursday.
However, Trump snubbed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) invitation. By doing so, he broke nearly 30 years of tradition. Of course, the White House blamed Speaker Pelosi.
White House spokesperson Judd Deere told The POLITICO:
‘Since the Speaker has chosen to tear this Nation apart with her actions and her rhetoric, the President will not participate in moments where she so often chooses to drive discord and disunity, and will instead celebrate the rich history and strong ties between the United States and Ireland at the White House on March 12.’
Deere continued:
‘The relationship between our two countries has never been stronger, and the President looks forward to welcoming the Prime Minister of Ireland for the annual Shamrock Bowl presentation.’
Pelosi’s spokesperson Drew Hammill said:
‘There has never been stronger support in the Congress and in the country for the U.S.-Ireland bilateral relationship. One would think that the White House could set petty, partisan politics aside for this historic occasion.’
Presidents have missed the lunch four times. For example, President George W. Bush was in the midst of the Iraq invasion. When presidents have missed, they always sent their vice presidents. Mike Pence will not be going.
The Mueller Report Adventures: In Bite-Sizes on this Facebook page. These quick, two-minute reads interpret the report in normal English for busy people. Mueller Bite-Sizes uncovers what is essentially a compelling spy mystery. Interestingly enough, Mueller Bite-Sizes can be read in any order.
