Sinn Féin will march against Donald Trump when he visits in November

Sinn Féin president Mary-Lou McDonald will “absolutely” march against the visit of Donald Trump whose politics she has described as “sexist, misogynistic and racist”.

The White House has announced that President Trump will travel to Ireland in November, however, further details of his trip will not be released until closer to the time.

Speaking at her party’s two-day think-in in Cavan, Ms McDonald said she would take part in any planned protests against the visit but also would be willing to meet President Trump to give her views on his policies.

His attitude to women, to immigrants and most recently the decision to pull funding from Palestinian refugees is just abhorrent.

“Would I meet him? You bet I would. Maybe the question is whether or not he would wish to meet me.

“This type of politics that President Trump espouses needs to be challenged at every level, it needs to be challenged on the streets, it needs to be challenged directly, should such an opportunity arise, face to face.”

Asked if she would personally take part in any protest marches she said: “Absolutely, we have no truck with sexist, misogynistic or racists politics, whatever the source of that politics.”

Ms McDonald said Sinn Féin has a long-standing policy of solidarity with the Palestinian people and the need for a peaceful resolution in the Middle East.

She said Sinn Féin respect the fact that Mr Trump is the democratically elected president of America but added that her party would challenge politics and policies that they believe to be wrong.

We believe that President Trump is wrong, wrong and wrong again on all of the issues that I have itemised,” said Ms McDonald.

The Sinn Féin president said she had not been given an invitation to meet President Trump when he visits Ireland but said that the nature or intent of his trip is not clear as of yet.

“We don’t know the nature of the visit, is it related to Brexit, is it something got to do with the impasse in the North, is it simply a geographic coincidence with his attending an event in France? So all of that has to be ascertained.

The one thing I am sure of is the politics and policies of President Trump will be challenged out on the streets and that’s absolutely as it should be and Sinn Féin will be part of that.

Turning to the Irish presidential election, Ms McDonald said the people should decide who is president and not Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael.

Sinn Féin have said they will put forward a candidate and that person will be announced on September 16.

“The actions we take, the decisions we make and the alliances we build will determine the shape of a new and united Ireland. That includes the presidential election,” she said.

The Sinn Féin leader said the presidential race would be an opportunity to hold a national conversation adding that the next president should unite our nation in all its diversity and difference.

“We believe that the people should decide who is president. It is not in the gift of Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael. It is the people’s president. And there will be a Sinn Féin candidate in the field,” she said.