Taoiseach leads tributes to Joe Biden as he drops out of Presidential election
Ie Sasko Taoiseach Harris Simon Picture: Lazarov/© Rollingnews
Taoiseach Simon Harris has lead tributes to Joe Biden after he dropped out of the 2024 Presidential election, saying he “has been a voice for reason, effective multilateralism and shared solutions”.
The US President quit the race following weeks of pressure and speculation about his candidacy, saying that it is “in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down”.
In a statement, Mr Harris thanked Mr Biden on behalf of the Irish public for “your global leadership and your friendship” since he took up office in 2020.
“Joe Biden, in all the offices he has held, has always been an unwavering voice and passionate worker for peace on the island of Ireland and our country owes him a great debt for this,” Mr Harris said.
Tánaiste Micheál Martin paid tribute to Mr Biden, saying that he heard the news “with both sadness and admiration”.
“He has been an abiding friend of Ireland, providing invaluable support for peace & prosperity on this island,” Mr Martin said, in a post on X.
“His visit last year will long be remembered as a powerful & joyous celebration of our relationship with the US.
“This has no doubt been the toughest of calls, but one done, as ever, with dignity & class. I know that the people of Ireland will wish President Biden the very best.” The Taoiseach also spoke of how the world has changed since 2020, referring to both the Covid-19 pandemic and the invasion of Ukraine by Russia.
Mr Harris added that the two leaders had discussed Gaza when they spoke over the phone last month, particularly around the US President’s proposal for a ceasefire.
“This plan remains the only way on the table to stop the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, release hostages and allow aid to flow freely. I am glad the President will continue his focus on this in the weeks and months ahead.” Green Party leader Roderic O’Gorman said that he did not agree with Mr Biden on everything, but that his “sense” was that he is a decent man.
“It must have been an incredibly difficult call, but he can leave office knowing he's left America in a far better position than he found it,” Mr O’Gorman said.