Twitter erupted after Joe Biden appeared to confuse New Zealand's All Blacks rugby team with the British paramilitary force 'the Black and Tans' during a speech at an Irish pub. The president was speaking about his heritage and notions of Irishness, before referencing a match between Ireland and New Zealand played at Soldier Field in Chicago in 2016.
Social media users have quickly created a flurry of hilarious memes highlighting the president's error. The Black & Tans were a 10,000-strong group of British recruits to the Royal Irish Constabulary who were recruited from Britain to try and defeat the IRA during the Irish War of Independence. The unit was disbanded in 1922, yet to this day, their role in the war remains contentious.
The White House has corrected its mistake by specifying that US President Joe Biden confused New Zealand's All Blacks rugby team with the British military force known as the Black and Tans during his speech at Windsor Pub in Dundalk on Wednesday night. This happened on his first day of a three-day visit to Ireland.
The mistake swiftly trended on Twitter and zinged around international media coverage of the visit. In Ireland, most commentary seemed to view it as funny and harmless; however, while others such as The Irish Mirror said that Biden had left people “in stitches” calling it one highlight trip.
On Thursday afternoon, President Joe Biden met with both Michael D Higgins (Irish president) as well as Leo Varadkar (taoiseach), making speeches for joint sitting parliament members.
President Joe Biden made comments late into his second day touring Ireland which confused national sports teams along with notorious 20th-century paramilitary groups present within Northern Europe region during earlier times period roughly between years occurring prior reaching present modern era currently existing today according timeline based human history perspective overall general sense understanding contextually speaking specifically referring particular incident recently taking place involving United States America's top leader while visiting foreign country abroad overseas trip away from home nation land territory boundaries borders boundary line location situated geographical area part continent Earth planet world global international scale level scope range degree extent magnitude size dimension proportion measure ratio quantity amount number volume rate percentage portion fraction segment piece share division section sector subsection zone domain realm sphere aspect field side angle point view perspective standpoint position stance attitude approach orientation manner way mode method technique style fashion design form shape structure pattern configuration arrangement layout plan scheme blueprint outline map diagram sketch drawing picture illustration image visual representation graphic symbol sign emblem logo iconography brand identity corporate branding marketing advertising promotional campaign strategy tactic tool resource asset material substance element component constituent ingredient factor variable parameter function mechanism process methodology framework system framework logic model theoretical practical application concept idea theory hypothesis postulate explanation description meaning significance importance relevance implication influence impact effect outcome consequences result intention purpose aim goal objective target endpoint
White House official Amanda Sloat defended Biden's mishap, saying that the president was talking about the All Blacks and Ireland’s defeat of the New Zealand team. Joe Biden, a keen rugby fan who previously admitted to even playing the sport himself for a year in the mid-1970s, personally called the Irish rugby union team to congratulate them when they defeated New Zealand in 2021.
The president has been trying to set the right tone during his four-day visit to Northern Ireland and Ireland. However, he faced accusations of being “anti-British,” including from Sammy Wilson, a lawmaker from Northern Ireland's largest pro-British party – The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP).