COULD THIS MEETING of Gerry Adams and Donald Trump back in 1995 be a prelude to a St Patrick’s Day shindig in the White House in 2017?
Some fascinating footage of one of Gerry Adams’s first trips to the United States in the mid-90s has emerged and shows the Sinn Féin leader shaking hands with the US billionaire and presidential hopeful.
The two could not be more different when it comes to their politics but they greeted each other warmly at this 1995 fundraising dinner in New York.
That was a big year for Adams. He had been barred from entering the US until January 1994 when president Bill Clinton approved a 48-hour visa.
Adams returned in March 1995 for a glitzy $200-a-plate fundraising lunch at Essex House in New York where he sought support for Sinn Féin and the peace process.
Trump was among several attendees including Bianca Jagger, Tom Hayden, moviemaker Michael Moore and ex-mayor David Dinkins.
AP reported at the time that Adams was greeted “like a rock star – posing for pictures and providing autographs”.
Although there wasn’t a universally warm welcome. Protesters outside the event demonstrated against Adams’ presence, one describing him as a “hypocrite”. Watch:
Twenty years later Trump is now seeking the Republican nomination for the White House, while Adams hopes to lead Sinn Féin into government after the next general election.
2016 is a big year for both men.
Hat tip: IrishCentral.com
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