President Joe Biden has been met with a muted reaction in Belfast as he pays a brief visit to Northern Ireland before heading for a longer stay south of the border.
There continued to be a significant police presence on the streets of Northern Ireland's capital city on Wednesday as Biden prepared to speak about the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement at Ulster University's campus in Belfast.
The speech comes amid reports of tensions between the White House and Downing Street about the itineraries of the president and U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
Questions have also been raised about the brevity of Biden's visit to Northern Ireland as he'll head south to the Republic of Ireland following his speech and spend three days in the country.
Sunak will not be attending Biden's speech in Belfast, though the president will meet with Northern Ireland's political parties.
When he was asked on Wednesday what he would say to those parties before he began a meeting with Sunak, Biden responded: "I'm going to listen."
At a press briefing in Belfast on Wednesday morning, Amanda Sloat, National Security Council Senior Director for Europe, responded to criticism levied by former Northern Ireland First Minister Arlene Foster, who said that the president "hates the UK, I don't think there's any doubt about that" during an interview with conservative outlet GB News.
"I think the track record of the president shows that he is not anti-British," Sloat told reporters.
"The president has been very actively engaged throughout his career, dating back to when he was a senator, in the peace process in Northern Ireland and that involved engagement with leaders of all of Northern Ireland parties from both of the two main communities," she said.
Biden is well known for talking about his Irish heritage and Sloat acknowledged he is "a very proud Irish-American" and proud of his roots. She added that the president is "also a strong supporter of our bilateral partnership with the U.K."
A relatively small crowd gathered near the Grand Central Hotel in Belfast on Wednesday morning ahead of Biden's meeting with Sunak, possibly hoping to see the prime minister.
A much smaller crowd had gathered at Ulster University's Belfast campus, where Biden is due to speak at 1 p.m. local time (8 a.m. EST) to mark the 25th anniversary of the signing of the historic peace deal on Good Friday, 1998.
However, the limited crowds may be due to the fact that there is a notable presence by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) and key streets have been cordoned off.
The PSNI presence near the Grand Central Hotel appeared less intrusive on Wednesday morning. On Tuesday night ahead of Biden's arrival into the city, police officers were stationed every few yards, while local bars and restaurants enjoyed a bustling trade.
Roads were blocked and a ring of steel-type security operation put in place around Ulster University in advance of the president's speech. The police presence was not overwhelming, however.
The precautions taken by the PSNI are due in part to the fact that the terrorism threat level in Northern Ireland was raised to "severe" on March 28.
Biden can likely expect a more enthusiastic reception in the Republic of Ireland, where many people are already planning to attend his public speech and where he'll also address the country's parliament on Thursday.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Darragh Roche is a U.S. News Reporter based in Limerick, Ireland. His focus is reporting on U.S. politics. He has ... Read more
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