Stay updated with breaking news from Valerie mason. Get real-time updates on events, politics, business, and more. Visit us for reliable news and exclusive interviews.
>> peter: and when president biden was on his way over here he said he was going to bring his sister valerie and son hunter because neither had been to ireland before. but now we know hunter has at least tried to do business in ireland in his life. in 2011, he and his business partners tried to pitch a deal to the ireland strategic investment fund. there is some email traffic that we have got now where hunter suggests that his partners reach out to the u.s. ambassador to ireland, the late ambassador dan rooney. it is unclear if a deal wound up getting done. and it's unclear if hunter wound up attempting to connect with any of those business partners while in ireland. he has been at his dad's events he has been in his dad's motorcades and at his dad's hotel since arriving here a few days ago. fast forward five years from ireland outreach. hunter biden got an sec subpoena in 2016 on unrelated matter. he emailed his attorneys about it and new records reveal that
to be invited to do so. then he's on the road again, meeting his cousins in county mayo, where us flags are already flying high. while his trip may be a symbolic and diplomatic one, it's also a personal one. charlotte gallagher, bbc news, dublin. and it seems these personal visits are enjoyed the most by him on this trip, he has brought his son, hunter, and his sister valerie because he said he wanted them to experience ireland themselves. tomorrow, we are going to see another big homecoming in county mayo for one of the very famous sons. , ., . ., , mayo for one of the very famous sons. , ., _, , ., mayo for one of the very famous sons. , ., , ., , ., sons. there is of course a strong tradition of— sons. there is of course a strong tradition of us _ sons. there is of course a strong tradition of us presidents - sons. there is of course a strong tradition of us presidents and i tradition of us presidents and ireland, when he does address parliament later, what is he likely to say in terms of us relations? i
a full day in dublin today with official engagement. he is going to be on show the whole time. he is making speeches, he has his banquet, meeting with michael d higgins. tomorrow really is more of a time to relax. he is going to a catholic shrine and then he is going to a heritage centre in county mayo to learn about his ancestors. and then the final piece of the trip is a speech outside the cathedral in the town of ballin r. and i'm no doubt his cousins will be with him at the time to stop he has got his son on the trip, hunter, and his sister, valerie. it is going to be more of a relaxed family occasion tomorrow, or 20.2 his feet up perhaps. that relaxed family occasion tomorrow, or 20.2 his feet up perhaps.— 20.2 his feet up perhaps. that is the official— 20.2 his feet up perhaps. that is the official residence _ 20.2 his feet up perhaps. that is the official residence you - 20.2 his feet up perhaps. that is the official residence you can - 20.2 his feet up perhaps. that is| the official residence you can see on the screen of president higgins. he is going to be welcoming, he is hosting president biden. president
well, exactly. and if you have ever been to the island of ireland or you live on the island of ireland you will know that you cannot always guarantee the weather, even in the middle of summer. yes, it has been fairly wet, and as i have been sending out for a lot of this visit i have definitely felt that. so it is really nice today to see the sun is really nice today to see the sun is out and dublin is looking beautiful today. the president pass official residence is really shining sunlight and it is really showing off the irish capital to its best. joe biden obviously really revelling in driving around dublin, seeing the sights here. later on, he will be going to dublin castle, which is of course beautiful, for an official banquet there. he really is being treated to the best that dublin has to offer. and it does look like he is really enjoying himself. he is actually brought some of his family on this trip as well. his sister, valerie, and his son, hunter. because he said he wanted them to
equipment and you have 280 pounds -uys equipment and you have 280 pounds guys like _ equipment and you have 280 pounds guys like we do, each docket had on the head _ guys like we do, each docket had on the head very often. it's got 16 i came to — the head very often. it's got 16 i came to ireland as a vice president bring _ came to ireland as a vice president bring most — came to ireland as a vice president bring most of my family with me. my sister— bring most of my family with me. my sister valerie, bring most of my family with me. my sistervalerie, my bring most of my family with me. my sister valerie, my brother and my five granddaughters and grandchildren and my granddaughters are crazy— grandchildren and my granddaughters are crazy about me, because it talk to them _ are crazy about me, because it talk to them every single day. together we explored our family history visiting — we explored our family history visiting to the peninsula where the finnegan's — visiting to the peninsula where the finnegan's ancestors earn their living _ finnegan's ancestors earn their living on— finnegan's ancestors earn their living on land and sea and walking the streets where my great concrete grandfather lived with his family before _ grandfather lived with his family before relocating in a 51 eventually settling _ before relocating in a 51 eventually settling in — before relocating in a 51 eventually settling in my hometown in scranton pennsylvania vostok yesterday i returned — pennsylvania vostok yesterday i returned to county louth where i toured _ returned to county louth where i toured the — returned to county louth where i toured the castle likely one of the last _ toured the castle likely one of the last 0f— toured the castle likely one of the last... of ireland my finnigan answer— last... of ireland my finnigan answer saul as they gazed on their way out _ answer saul as they gazed on their way out on — answer saul as they gazed on their way out on those days which was referred — way out on those days which was referred to — way out on those days which was referred to as a coffin ship in the sailed _ referred to as a coffin ship in the sailed out — referred to as a coffin ship in the sailed out in 1850. i was not going to say— sailed out in 1850. i was not going to say but— sailed out in 1850. i was not going to say but i—
his sister valerie, who he described as his best friend in the world. to really give them a taste and flavour of ireland. in fact he said, any american who has any kind of irish connection, dreams of coming to ireland. , ., , , ireland. yes, that is very true. there is always _ ireland. yes, that is very true. there is always an _ ireland. yes, that is very true. there is always an irish - ireland. yes, that is very true. there is always an irish joke i ireland. yes, that is very true. i there is always an irish joke that when irish people go to america, we will always be stopped and sang, i am part irish and we respond, how, well my great, great, great grandmother was once removed was irish, so everyone claims bit of irish, so everyone claims bit of irish heritage. we have so many irish heritage. we have so many irish tourists every year. indeed. doctorjennifer _ irish tourists every year. indeed. doctor jennifer cassidy. - doctorjennifer cassidy. unfortunately doctorjennifer cassidy. u nfortu nately we have doctorjennifer cassidy. unfortunately we have come to the end of the programme but thank you so much forjoining us here on the programme. we are going to leave you with these pictures of dublin castle. where that banquet is taking
>> making sure we don't all have covid. >> what's the key to success? >> i am here with my sister, valerie, and my youngest son, hunter biden. stand up, guys, i'm proud of you. [applause] >> greg: that was painful. while the bidens w learn more about their irish roots, hunters pursuits. 80 visits to the obama white house which makes it harder for the big guy to continue to play dumb when asked about it. >> i have never spoken to my son about his overseas business. >> i have never discussed with my son or my brother or anyone else anything having to do with their businesses, period. >> do you stand by your statement that you do not discuss any of your son's oversee -- >> yes, i stand by that
my cousin, one of ireland's greatest rugby stars, rob kennedy brought it to d.c. on st. patrick's day in 2022 to give me, and i didn't play rugby except when i was out of school, out of law school, and i didn't play it very well. we played in a rugby club, but i did play american football in the field of sports, but i realize that, you know, you guys are all nuts you know, but the interesting thing is i'd rather have my children playing rugby now for health reasons than i would have them playing football. fewer people get hurt playing rugby and you have no equipment, you have 280 pound guys like we do, and you just don't hit each other in the head very often, but at any rate, all kidding aside, in 2016 i came to ireland when i was vice president bringing most of my family with me, my sister valerie, my brother jimmy, my daughter and my five grand daughters and grandchildren, and my grand daughters are crazy about me, i might add because i talk to them every single day
later as the president of the united states, um someone who many people refer to as the most irish president since jfk jfk. all eight of his great grandparents were from ireland, so you can't get more irish than that. but joe biden, very, very proud, nick. of his irish roots. and it's an interesting contrast as well, because i covered president president trump when he came to ireland, and he spent a lot of time in his golf resort president biden says, going to spend a lot of time out in the community and who would like it who would not want to be walking around in irish castle strolling down an irish high street talking to people who just love to have a conversation of always got a tale to tell who doesn't love that? you know, i do. and you know that president joe biden loves it as well. you can see the smile on his face. before that we saw his sister valerie. by owens and then his son. hunter was in there as
connection and i think people in ireland generally like it here in northern ireland. it's slightly different, some of them not so. happy to see the president here. and i'm looking under those umbrellas. i think i saw the prime minister of ireland underneath one of those umbrellas as well as the lord mayor of dublin. you can assume the u. s ambassador to ireland claire cronin, also in there somewhere this as the president continues to greet people on the tarmac, you get the sense he's going to enjoy. this trip. he's going to enjoy this time in ireland. he brought his son hunter. he brought his sister earlier yesterday. in fact, the president said that he was bringing with him relatives who hadn't been with him before on his many trips to ireland. he made a big trip to the republic of ireland in his waiting days as vice president. you got the sense he was doing that back in 2016 because he wasn't sure if he would make any more. official. visits to ireland and wanted to make it special. but here he is these many years