GAVIN NEWSOM, THE California Governor and arguably the Democrats’ presidential frontrunner for 2028, cancelled a meeting with taoiseach Bertie Ahern twenty years ago despite seeking the meeting in the first place.

Newsom was Mayor of San Francisco when he came to Ireland for a week-long visit in September 2005 and was described in a briefing note for Ahern as being “a non-contentious politician with ambitions for higher office at the federal level”.

The note added that Newsom “propelled himself to national prominence by allowing same-sex marriage in the city registry office”.

The tech-heavy visit to Ireland was focused on Cork and Dublin and included a visit to Apple’s facility in Cork and Google’s office in the capital.

Emails between officials in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Department of the Taoiseach in advance of the visit discussed whether it would be appropriate for Newsom to make courtesy calls on the Taoiseach, the President or both.

Those emails and other briefing documents have now been released to the National Archives and show an eagerness to facilitate a “rising star” of US politics.

“Through the Consulate in San Francisco, the Mayor has requested a brief courtesy call on the Taoiseach and meetings with a number of Government Ministers,” one email to the Taoiseach’s office states.

The email adds: “In relation to Mayor Newsom’s request to meet with the Taoiseach, the Consulate in San Francisco would recommend a short courtesy call, should the Taoiseach’s schedule permit. The Consulate reports predictions of a bright future for Mayor Newsom within the Democratic party.”

Another email states that Newsom wanted to meet President Mary McAleese “as she studied law in San Francisco”, as well as Micheál Martin, then enterprise minister.

An email months earlier from the Irish Consulate in San Francisco stressed Newsom’s Irish roots and highlighted the “international attention” he had won by allowing same-sex marriage in the city.

“The ambitious Mayor Newsom is considered one of the rising stars of the Democratic Party. The Mayor also has strong Irish links, both in his own family and in the family of his wife, Kimberly Guilfoyle, from whom he has recently separated,” the email states.

Newsom was married to Guilfoyle for five years before she went on to become a Fox News personality and a one-time fiancée of Donald Trump Jr. She is currently US Ambassador to Greece in the Trump Administration.

Newsom’s visit to Ireland included a range of visits to different ministers but a “fifteen minute courtesy call on the Taoiseach” was arranged for the fifth day of the visit.

However, this meeting was subsequently cancelled on 24-hours’ notice, with an email from the DFA saying: “This courtesy call has now been cancelled by the Mayor’s Office who said that they could not make it for the allotted time due to other commitments.”

In recent months, Newsom has gained syndicate attention for parodying Trump’s approach to online trolling by way of his press office’s social media.

The approach has infuriated Republicans but has led many to suggest that Newsom is prepping for a run at the White House in 2028.

Newsom has in the past spoken about having descendants from Cork, Sligo and Dublin and after Ireland voted to legalise same-sex marriage in 2015 he posted online: “I’m so proud to be Irish!!”