The more I think of it, the McGregor thing was a Trump/American foreign policy way of simply getting Irish Americans on your side, just before Trump potentially obliterates a part of the Irish economy with tariffs, in particular on pharmaceutical products. Remember, with all of the businesses here, the tariffs would have a disproportionate impact on us and Irish Americans still carry a lot of power and a lot of influence.
I think the Irish reaction was organic, natural, and what you see is what you get. But also, it was predictable.
The other explanations (trying to damage Irish nationalism) don't make as much sense to me. Also, why would you purposely damage your own reputation in order to damage a movement that didn't even get one person elected in the last general election?
I don't think this was just an accident either. Surely they had to know what they think about McGregor, and the symbology of having him there on the actual St Patrick's Day, rather than on the 12th as well.
So if you were to do that, do you want Irish Americans blaming Trump? Or the Irish establishment who are doing what McGregor says they were doing. If say, Ireland's economy was to go south.
With St Patrick's Day, of all days to pull something like this off.
