Opinion

Allison Morris: No political gains to be made from Gerry Adams visiting Donald Trump's White House

Politicians have nothing to gain locally by accepting a St Patrick's Day invitation from President Donald Trump.
Politicians have nothing to gain locally by accepting a St Patrick's Day invitation from President Donald Trump. Politicians have nothing to gain locally by accepting a St Patrick's Day invitation from President Donald Trump.

It seems slightly absurd that we're less than a month into the Trump presidency, given the impact he's already had on global political affairs.

So dramatic has his first few weeks in office been, it has changed the very language we use with 'alternative facts' now a recognised phrase.

I believe he has also, through his actions, made the world we live in a more dangerous place.

His reaction to Judge James Robart overturning his Executive Order banning people from seven, mainly Muslim countries, was anything but presidential.

"If something happens blame him and court system. People pouring in. Bad!", Donald Trump tweeted.

There is now a very real possibility of Trump extending powers of detention without trial in America and trampling on the country's constitution on the 'free exercise of religion'.

Slugger O'Toole commentator Brendan Heading put it better than I ever could when he noted that:``If anything, ISIS supporters will now be emboldened, as they know that their next action will begin the unravelling process, triggering a damaging "debate" about whether or not courts should have the power to overrule the executive branch when it makes decisions on national security matters.''

My sister lives in south east London. There's a man with mad hair who stands in her local main street ranting all day about terrorist plots, drugs in the water supply, and how Muslims are going to cut all our heads off with butter knives.

He's clearly not well and in need of treatment but thankfully he's not the President of the United States with his finger on the nuclear trigger.

While locally we have very little power to change or influence Trump's horrendous policies, our politicians should at least be taking a moral stand.

Arlene Foster's DUP clearly have lots in common politically and therefore it seems logical that she would support extending a welcome, or indeed travelling to the White House herself for the annual St Patrick's Day shindig.

A conservative politician networking with those of like mind and spirit.

Her comments last week at the party's election campaign launch show she still believes as first minister she had supremacy, rather than recognising the joint role of the office.

Indeed comparing Irish language speakers to feeding crocodiles implies she thinks of big house unionism as the gamekeepers, who can feed or starve their subordinates as they see fit.

It was a speech straight out of the Trump handbook.

But when Gerry Adams says he would have no problem going to the White House for St Patrick's Day if invited you really have to wonder who is advising him.

Given he would only be there to hobnob with Irish America, who treat him like a rock star, and dine on canapés courtesy of a regime currently trampling on race relations and equality - an administration that made the persecution of an entire religion one of the first orders of business - it is incredible that he would even consider accepting such an invite.

Commons speaker John Bercow had it right when he said; "opposition to racism and sexism" were "hugely important considerations" in voicing his opposition to the US president addressing Parliament .

American jobs for American people, was one of Trump's election promises, and we now know he intends to push through with those election pledges - all of them.

So there are no investment opportunities up for grabs, not one cent for you, me or our children to be made from any local parties travelling to the States for a St Patrick's Day do, and don't let them tell you otherwise.

This is Adams putting his personal rating in the States and all that generates for his party above what's right morally.

Given the Sinn Féin leader's political background and the optics of endorsing through his actions a right wing conservative Trump presidency, it seems odd he would even consider such a visit.

For a politician who leads a party with equality in every manifesto to attend a hooley hosted by a man who boasts about sexually assaulting women, shows a remarkable lack of judgment.

It makes zero sense, coming as it does so soon after Martin McGuinness taking a stand against the hardline, equality blocking actions of the DUP.

Even for Sinn Féin's notoriously loyal support base this may be a move too far.