WASHINGTON — A very Irish American president finally got to experience the most Irish presidential tradition after years of pandemic restrictions canceled the annual St. Patrick’s Day toast in the Capitol with Irish leadership.
President Joe Biden and Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., took the opportunity to flex their shared Irish heritage at Friday’s Friends of Ireland lunch, acting as if the homeland of their ancestors could be enough to get past their political differences.
The two lawmakers were sitting on either side of Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, and while they appeared friendly for the St. Patrick’s Day festivities, this was the first time Biden and McCarthy had seen each other since the State of the Union address last month. The two politicians are currently battling over the 2024 budget and the need to raise the debt limit, which McCarthy seemed to be addressing before he took a different turn.
