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President Biden is “very excited” about his upcoming visit to Northern Ireland despite recent violence in the region, including the firebombing of a police vehicle, a White House spokesman said Monday.
Biden, 80, will travel to Belfast on Tuesday where he will commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement with UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. The 1998 peace accords brought the 30-year-long sectarian conflict known as The Troubles to an end.
“The President is traveling to the United Kingdom and Ireland this week. And as I think you all also know, he’s very excited for this trip and has been now for quite some time,” the White House National Security Council’s coordinator for strategic communications John Kirby said on Monday.
When asked by a reporter about warnings of violence in the region ahead of Biden’s trip, including threats of terrorism, Kirby dismissed concerns for the president’s safety.
“You know we don’t ever talk about security requirements of protecting the president. But the president is more than comfortable making this trip, and he’s very excited to do it,” Kirby said.
