MARY LOU MCDONALD has said she would be willing to meet with US President Donald Trump during his trip to Ireland. 

Speaking to the media at the Sinn Féin think-in in Cavan this afternoon, the party president said Sinn Féin will join protests against the planned visit this November.

“Would I meet him? You bet I would,” she said, adding that perhaps the question is would he like to meet her face-to-face. 

“We have received no invitation,” added McDonald, who dubbed Trump’s politics as “misogynistic” and “racist”. 

“One thing I do know is the politics and policies of President Trump will be challenged – challenged directly out on the streets, as they should be and Sinn Féin will be part of that.”

McDonald said Trump’s views on women, immigrants, and more recently, the withdrawal of funding from a UN project that supports Palestinian refugees is “just abhorrent”. 

The nature of Trump’s visit is yet to be ascertained, she said, adding that Taoiseach Leo Varadkar’s surprise the US president took up the invite is somewhat “disingenuous” in her view.

The party leader said the type of politics Trump espouses should be challenged “at every level” but added that he is the democratically elected president of the United States. 

“We respect the fact that Donald Trump is the duly elected president of the United States of America… We believe president Trump is wrong, wrong, and wrong again on all of the issues,” said McDonald.