St Patrick's Day: Mary Lou McDonald draws a line at the White House door

Sinn Féin cancels its White House visit over Trump’s Gaza stance, pressuring Ireland’s Taoiseach to act

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said: 'I would urge the Taoiseach to be true to us as Irish people and to express accurately, truthfully, honestly, the feeling in this country and beyond Ireland on our national day.' Picture: Gareth Chaney/PA

Just under a year ago, Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald was defending her decision to travel to Washington DC for traditional St Patrick’s Day events in the United States.

There was pressure on Irish politicians to pull back from the programme of events, with no ceasefire in Gaza in sight and the continued bombardment by Israel making headlines day and night.

Ms McDonald highlighted then the “unparalleled access” that Irish politicians receive on the week of our national day in the US capital, saying that it was her “responsibility and duty” to engage with US politicians and convince them to help stop a rising death toll in Gaza.

But since then, things have changed.

Joe Biden is no longer in the White House, having been replaced by a bullish Donald Trump who has spent his first month in office lashing out at all sorts.

The Sinn Féin position on engagement with the White House has now flipped, with Ms McDonald confirming as much on Friday morning.

The party leadership, including Ms McDonald and Northern Ireland’s First Minister Michelle O’Neill, will not make the trip to Washington next month to glad-hand with US politicians and Irish-American audiences.

The turning point for the party, as outlined by Ms McDonald, was a statement by Mr Trump where he called for the cleansing of Gaza and the forced relocation of Palestinians from the territory.

At a press conference, alongside Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Mr Trump said that he wanted to see Gaza turned into the “Riviera of the Middle East” and ensure the US controlled the territory.

Ms McDonald described Mr Trump’s statement as “unconscionable” and said that it was now up to the Taoiseach to outline Ireland’s abhorrence at his comments.

One senior Sinn Féin source said that Mr Trump’s statement had “changed the dynamic” within the party over the trip.

“Last year wasn’t an ordinary St Patrick’s Day trip, but this year, the context was turned completely on its head,” the source said.

At some point, you have to take a stand. 

Ms McDonald made the decision in the last few days, after discussions with senior figures in the party.

But choosing not to go this year does reopen the question of why Sinn Féin did end up making the journey across the Atlantic last year while Mr Biden continued to arm Israel with weapons used to kill Palestinians.

Ms McDonald told reporters on Friday that events in the White House were “in essence” just a bilateral meeting between the US president and the Taoiseach of the day. She wouldn’t get much of a look in anyway.

But again, if that is the case, why did the party opt to head to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in 2024?

Sinn Féin also runs the risk of looking like a party that can’t make nuanced decisions, with engagements in the US more than just a meeting with the US president.

The stance taken now is, however, a political move that will heap further pressure on Taoiseach Micheál Martin to tackle Mr Trump on Palestine, with Ms McDonald saying that he should not “equivocate” with the US president. Ms McDonald said: 

I would urge the Taoiseach to be true to us as Irish people and to express accurately, truthfully, honestly, the feeling in this country and beyond Ireland on our national day. 

She added that it would be “unforgivable” for Mr Martin not to be clear with the US president and that he should be told to withdraw threats against Gaza.

It is hard to see how Sinn Féin might reconcile from this position in the years ahead if Mr Trump does not change tack.

Ms McDonald rejected assertions that this would essentially be a standing boycott of the White House while Mr Trump remains in office, but the party cannot simply change its tune in the years ahead if the war resumes in Gaza — which Mr Netanyahu has threatened before.

The Sinn Féin leader said that her party would “take it one step at a time” on future engagement, but that she hoped the US would move towards peace in the region.

Only time will tell if the US administration backs down on its Gaza position, but the road ahead to a lasting peace between Israel and Palestine looks difficult, with Mr Trump in the driving seat.