Biden seen with cheat cards on how to pronounce names of fellow Irish leaders

President Joe Biden held cheat cards with the pronunciations and pictures of Irish leaders visiting him in the Oval Office (Pictures: Getty Images)

President Joe Biden, who is openly proud of his Irish roots, was spotted holding cheat cards with the pictures and pronunciations of leaders visiting him from Ireland.

Biden, 81, was photographed clutching a notecard that included how to say ‘Taoiseach’, which is the title for the prime minister of the Republic of Ireland.

‘Taoiseach, welcome back to the Oval Office,’ said Biden while sitting next to Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar on Friday ahead of St Patrick’s Day.

Biden correctly uttered the Gaelic word as ‘tee-shock’.

The card also included instructions on Varadkar, Ireland’s ambassador to the US Geraldine Byrne Nason, Varadkar’s chief of staff Brian Murphy, and Varadkar’s deputy chief of staff Philip O’Callaghan.

‘Great chance to return some of the hospitality that you provided me when I was in Ireland last,’ Biden continued.

Biden wore a green tie with shamrocks and had a bowl of shamrocks in front of the fireplace to mark the occasion. The president has long been proud of being Irish-American – his ancestors arrived in the US more than 165 years ago – and visited his ancestral homeland last year.

The US and Ireland are celebrating a century of diplomatic relations.

President Joe Biden and Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar met in the Oval Office of the White House on Friday (Picture: Getty Images)

‘May the hinge of our friendship never grow rusty,’ Biden told Varadkar.

The president, who has been criticized for making numerus gaffes, avoided making mistakes on Friday.

‘Taioseach, thank you for joining us again,’ Biden said with the right pronunciation again.

Following the meeting in the Oval Office, the two leaders attended the annual Friends of Ireland Luncheon at the US Capitol. The host, Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson, introduced Biden as ‘America’s most famous Irishman’.

President Joe Biden (right) and Ireland’s Prime Minister Leo Varadkar (left) walk down the steps of the Capitol, following the Friends of Ireland luncheon in Washington, DC (Picture: Reuters)

Biden during the event called for more aid for Ukraine, which Varadkar echoed.

‘Ukraine must not fall and together, we need to stand by Ukraine for as long as it takes,’ said Varadkar. ‘We look forward to working with America for the next 100 years.’

It was not the first the that Biden has held cheat cards. One notecard in June 2022 included details on where he should stand: ‘YOU enter the Roosevelt Room and say hello to participants. YOU take YOUR seat.’

Following questions around Biden’s prepared cards, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre in April said ‘it is entirely normal for a president to be briefed on reporters who will be asking questions at a press conference and issues that we expect they might ask about’.

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