SPEAKER of the US House of Representatives, Paul Ryan, has come under fire for tweeting his ‘pride’ in his Irish roots.
The Republican House speaker tweeted of his ancestry while meeting with Department of Foreign Affairs Minister Charlie Flanagan in Washington earlier this week.
“I take great pride in my Irish roots,” Speaker Ryan said, “so it was a pleasure to have Ireland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs visit my office yesterday.”
I take great pride in my Irish roots, so it was a pleasure to have #Ireland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs visit my office yesterday. 🇮🇪 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/1sP9tTp1qL
— Paul Ryan (@SpeakerRyan) February 2, 2017
Speaker Ryan is from Wisconsin but his paternal great-great-grandfather was born in Ireland before emigrating the America.
Ryan came under fire from both Irish and Irish Americans for celebrating his immigrant roots while supporting President Trump’s ban on immigration from seven Muslim-majority nations.
Last week, Trump signed an Executive Order banning immigration to the US from Iraq, Syria, Sudan, Iran, Somalia, Libya and Yemen for 90 days.
"Embarrassed you have any Irish roots!" tweeted one user. "Your Government's actions and treatment of the vulnerable and marginalised is shameful."
"I'm an economic migrant and ashamed of you," said another, "your family fled, yet you shun those in need now."
Read some of the tweets to Speaker Ryan below…
Remember when you're making laws that Irish immigrants used to be hated for "taking all the jobs."
— Ellie Rutledge (@ellierutledge) February 2, 2017
Hmmmm. I wonder how 'Americans' at that time characterized your immigrant forebears? Shame.
— SezYou (@you_sez) February 2, 2017
as an American Irish woman I'm embarrassed of uand that we are from the same immigrant roots.#resist
— Non (@NonnyC) February 2, 2017
- embarrassed you have any Irish roots!! Your governments actions and treatment of the vulnerable and marginalised is shameful
— Mícheál Sheridan (@michealsheridan) February 2, 2017
As a descendant of immigrants how do you reconcile your hypocrisy? View of Irish immigration similar to Republican views today
— Savoy (@SavoyEsq) February 2, 2017
i hope you are kind to refugees. your great grandparents were refugees. Irish were the unwanted dangerous mobs of the 1800s.
— Masking For A Friend 🇺🇦 (@irinaslutsky) February 2, 2017
Ryan is an embarrassment to Irish Americans.
— Sandy Quinn (@DrQuinnTweets) February 2, 2017
well we're deeply ashamed of you and everything you're doing Paul. So maybe brag about the rest of your roots.
— Anthony Scanlon (@scatall) February 2, 2017
I'm an economic migrant (great Irish tradition) and ashamed of you- your family fled, yet you shun those in need now #Refugees
— Tríona (@TrionaBolger) February 2, 2017
fuck your Irish roots. You're not one of us. ☘
— Rob Smith (@robsmithireland) February 2, 2017
