DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has insisted American presidents are welcome in Northern Ireland after Arlene Foster claimed Joe Biden "hates" the UK.
Sir Jeffrey was responding after his predecessor criticised the US president, who visited Belfast as part of a four-day trip to the island of Ireland.
Dame Arlene branded Mr Biden "the most partisan president there has ever been when dealing with Northern Ireland".
Read more: Former DUP leader Arlene Foster says US president Joe Biden 'hates' the UK
She said his visit "won't put any pressure" on the DUP to restore Stormont because he is regarded as "simply pro-republican and pro-nationalist".
Sir Jeffrey and other Stormont party leaders attended a keynote speech by Mr Biden at Ulster University's Belfast campus.
Asked whether he agreed with Dame Arlene's comments that Mr Biden "hates" the UK, the DUP leader told Belfast Live: "Well, I think that the president today acknowledged his own British ancestry.
"And I think that was an attempt to perhaps rebalance some of the comments he's made in the past which were not helpful.
"The United States is our strongest ally, and it's important as unionists that we continue to support that strong relationship between the United Kingdom and the United States.
"Of course, as leader of the DUP, I respect the Office of the President of the United States.
"And as I've said, American presidents will be welcome in Belfast because the United States are our strongest allies."
Since last year the DUP has been blocking Stormont power-sharing in protest against Brexit's Northern Ireland Protocol.
The party has also raised concerns about the UK and European Union's new Windsor Framework deal, which aimed to reduce Irish Sea trade barriers resulting from the protocol.
Sir Jeffrey said he had a "brief conversation" with Mr Biden during his engagement at Ulster University.
He said Mr Biden was "very clear that he's not here to interfere" and that it was "for the political leaders in Northern Ireland to make the decisions about the way forward".
The DUP leader welcomed the president's offer to "help in whatever way they can, including to encourage more inward investment and to create more jobs for our people in Northern Ireland".
Earlier, a senior US official said in response to Dame Arlene's comments that it was "simply untrue" to suggest Mr Biden hates the UK.
Amanda Sloat, senior director for Europe at the US National Security Council, added: "The fact that the president is going to be engaging for the third time in three months and then the next month and then again in June with the Prime Minister of the UK shows how close our cooperation is with the UK."
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