US-Ireland relationship will remain strong, ambassador says

Claire Cronin, the US ambassador to Ireland, issued a video message from Dublin on Tuesday as millions of Americans headed to the polls for the 2024 US presidential election.

The American Ambassador, who was nominated by President Biden for her role in 2021hosted an election night watch party at The Guinness Storehouse in Dublin on Tuesday evening.

“I appreciate the great interest the Irish people have in the American political system and our elections,” Cronin said in her video message on social media on Tuesday afternoon.

‘As I’ve traveled around this beautiful country, I’ve met many Irish people who are so eager to talk about polls, swing states and even the Electoral College.

“So tonight, as we watch the results come in, I think about what President Biden has said about the importance of democracy: the right to vote, to have your vote counted, is the threshold of democracy and freedom around the world and with everything is possible.

“So I won’t make any predictions, except one for tonight: the American-Irish relationship will remain strong no matter who wins.”

The US-Ireland relationship will remain strong no matter who wins tonight. #Election2024 pic.twitter.com/KOMo3ehPeO

— Ambassador Claire Cronin (@USAmbIreland) November 5, 2024

The ambassador’s message was issued the day after Roderic O’Gorman, the leader of Ireland’s Green Party and Ireland’s Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, said that “It is critical that Donald Trump does not win this election.”

O’Gorman’s sentiments echoed those of Leo Varadkar, who resigned as Prime Minister in March: “I don’t think it would be a good thing for America or the world if President Trump is re-elected.”

While Cronin’s message was certainly intended to feel good, it came out the same day in the Irish outlet The ditch published what appears to be an email from the ambassador warning of the “consequences” if the Irish government passes the Occupied Territories Bill.

The bill, introduced by Senator Frances Black in 2018, aims to ban trade between Ireland and Israel’s illegal settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories. It has been stuck at committee stage in the Dáil since 2020.

According to The Ditch, Cronin published her emails on October 22, less than a week after Taoiseach Simon Harris told reporters that Ireland “will not wait for everyone in Europe to take action on the issue of trade in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT).”

The Ditch reports that Cronin wrote in her email in part: “I encourage your teams to thoroughly research the potential impact of the bill to avoid unforeseen consequences that could detract from what you hope to achieve with this legislation .”

Her email was sent to the Secretary General of the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs, Joe Hackett, at the Department of Enterprise address on October 22 at 2.33pm, as well as to Taoiseach Simon Harris and Secretary General of the Department of Foreign Affairs, John Callinan.

Assistant Secretary for the EU and International Division Helen Blake, Deputy Chief of the US Mission Michael Clausen and another State Department official also received it, The Ditch added.

The Ditch further reports that less than 90 minutes after receiving Cronin’s email, Tánaiste Micheál Martin announced that instead of transposing the Occupied Territories Act into law, “the law will be reviewed and amendments prepared to bring it into line with the Constitution and EU law.”

US Ambassador Claire Cronin’s email warning the government of the ‘consequences’ if the Occupied Territories law is passed

Claire is having an American pageant party at the Guinness Storehouse tonight and is treating us pic.twitter.com/u8nkBHvUck

— De Sloot (@wereontheditch) November 5, 2024

Meanwhile, early exit polls in the US showed which issues were most pressing for voters. CBS News reported Tuesday evening, as the first polls began to close, that for Harris voters the state of democracy was the most important issue, while for Trump voters it was the economy.

A majority of both groups of voters said they will be afraid if the other side wins, CBS News reported, and about seven in 10 voters (majorities on both sides) expect violence to occur over the presidential election outcome .

Earlier, on Sunday evening, Harris for President campaign chairwoman Jen O’Malley Dillon outlined the situation the rough timeline of when she and her team expected results.

“We may not know the outcome of this election for several days,” she said in an email on Nov. 3. “But we must remain calm and confident during that period.

“We all have a role to play in ensuring that our friends, family and neighbors trust our election process.”