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USA 2016

Eamon Dunphy on Ireland and Trump: 'We'd immediately sign up with the Donald'

“Would everyone in Ireland be going around looking to see if Donald Trump has any Irish roots? Would we find a Trump in county Mayo or Sligo? That’s what we’re like.”

TheJournal.ie / YouTube

FOR ANYONE WITH a fascination for American politics – and you’ll find a few this side of the Atlantic – tomorrow will unfold like a binge watch of Netflix’s latest, over-the-top drama.

“What’s happening there is a horror show,” actually, according to Irish political commentator Eamon Dunphy.

On one level, it’s great entertainment. On another level, it’s deeply troubling.

Speaking to TheJournal.ie about his fervent interest in US affairs, the broadcasting veteran revealed he would not like to vote for either Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump.

Although with a recognisable chuckle, he adds:

The anarchist in me, somewhere not too far below the skin, will laugh like mad if Trump wins. I think it’ll be a great story.

Campaign 2016 Trump Evan Vucci / PA Wire Evan Vucci / PA Wire / PA Wire

Would a POTUS Trump world be chaotic?

“I don’t think it would be quite the disaster that people anticipate. What would be bad about it, to be serious… It would seem to sanction racism, sexism… of the most appalling kind.

That would be the thing that would make me vote for Hillary – the idea of his racist, vulgar, sexist presence would send out an appalling signal. He mustn’t win and probably won’t. But there’s another part of me that likes mayhem.

Dunphy wants to see how the establishment would react – on both sides of the Atlantic.

“I think if the Donald wins, he’ll become a pussycat. The admirals, the statesmen and the civil servants… will sit him down and say, ‘Well done, Donald’. He’ll be a happy camper, have a big grin on his face and then go have a good time for eight years.”

Here? “Would everyone in Ireland be going around looking to see if Donald Trump has any Irish roots? Would we find a Trump in county Mayo or Sligo? That’s what we’re like. We’d immediately sign up with the Donald.”

Trump Plaza anyone?

TheJournal.ie / YouTube

More: Eamon Dunphy to launch ‘intelligent, interesting, irreverent’ football podcast

Read: Brexit beats Trumpism and throwing shade to be named ‘word of the year’

Related: “Does the rest of the world want what’s best for us, or what’s best for them?”: The US election in Dublin, California

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