The last time that Leo Varadkar was in the United States as a political representative was in March, as taoiseach. A political lifetime ago.
He met vice-president Kamala Harris for a breakfast at her residence in the Naval Observatory on the Friday. That Sunday, he met president Joe Biden for the traditional St Patrick’s Day Oval Office sit-down. Then, two days after returning to Ireland, he announced that had decided to step down from the office of taoiseach.
This week, he was back in the United States as a guest of former House of Representatives speaker Nancy Pelosi at the Democratic National Convention. The Californian party grandee invited him during her visit to Ireland in April and as a “political anorak” he wasn’t going to miss it.
He spent Wednesday and Thursday as both guest and part of the Pelosi entourage during a relentless round of meetings and engagements.
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“It was interesting to see her operate and even to observe from a personal point of view, for years it was me,” he told The Irish Times shortly before leaving Chicago on Friday.
“There were all handlers and advisers around me in the role of taoiseach. And so I was more aware of what they were doing this week than when I was principal because in that role, everyone is coming up to you for the quick chats or interviews. So it was interesting to be part of the part of that entourage.
“I always appreciated what they do, but you see how much plans can chop and change and how extra things need to be accommodated and that is all done for you. And every adviser wants to get their thing on the programme and it isn’t always possible. So, it was interesting to see it all play out.”
In the days after he stepped down as taoiseach, among the phone calls Varadkar received was one from president Biden, just for a private conversation. It is unlikely that the president had the faintest inkling that he himself would relinquish his Democratic candidacy less than three months later, setting in motion the chain of events which led to a euphoric Democratic convention over the past week.
“I actually haven’t had a chance to speak with him and probably should reach out to him but I haven’t yet – it is easier for him to get me than the other way around, as you can probably imagine!
“I think for him it must have been a very personally difficult decision. But there is no doubt it has reinvigorated the campaign and there is a level of energy and enthusiasm that wasn’t there a few weeks ago, particularly with younger voters.”
Like many political people, Varadkar has spent the last two decades staying up until the early hours watching convention night coverage.
In Chicago this week, he attended an Irish-American Democrats lunch as guest, along with Ireland’s ambassador to the United States, Geraldine Byrne Nason. But convention days start early and end late and he spent most of the time in Nancy Pelosi’s entourage. He had a clear idea of the largesse of the event but witnessing it up close is different.
“It is only when you are on floor and see it for yourself that you get the scale of the panorama – it’s more like a rock concert or sporting event rather than a political conference in that regard. One thing that did strike me was the diversity of America – people from all sorts of racial and religious backgrounds, young people, old people.”
Watching Harris speak on Thursday night must have taken him back to the overcast March morning when she hosted an Irish delegation. It was his second sit-down meeting the vice-president and, again, she spent two hours engaging in substantial conversation.
“I always thought Kamala Harris has a lot of strength,” he says.
“Being vice-president is a difficult job. You are always in the shadow of the president. You are the number two person, the backup person. I always felt that she didn’t get a chance to shine – and now maybe she will have that chance.”
As for the likelihood of a November election in Ireland, with another Harris on the ballot paper, the former taoiseach professes no special insight.
“Ultimately that is going to be a decision for the party leaders. While I am a sitting TD and remain very active, I have no inside knowledge.
“It is my view that the best time to hold an election is when you think you can win it. There is no guarantee that will be the case ... it is a decision the party leaders will have to take.
“Thankfully it is not my call any more. It is also easier said than done. My plan as taoiseach was not to hold a winter election – I would have preferred to hold an election once Brexit was ratified and unfortunately because of events in British politics it wasn’t ratified until December and that was one of the reasons that had us in a winter election [in February 2020] that I would have preferred to have avoided, but, c’est la vie.”
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