Former Trump strategist Steve Bannon blames Government and EU for Dublin riots
James Cox
Steve Bannon, a right wing American political commentator and ex-chief strategist of former US president Donald Trump, has blamed the Dublin riots on the Irish Government and the EU.
Appearing on broadcaster Tucker Carlson's online show, Bannon claimed the "political class has totally sold out the people".
Opening the interview, Carlson referred to the stabbing incident in which three children were injured in Dublin.
He went on to criticise the hate speech legislation the Government has proposed, which Elon Musk has also repeatedly criticised.
Bannon said: “Ireland's probably one of the worst, if not the worst... because the political class has totally sold out the people.
"They've had, I think 125,000 immigrants in the last year, and that is the same equivalent if all of Joe Biden’s nine million illegal alien invaders here in our country all came within one year.
“That's the impact it's had on Ireland, and they're all on the public dole. There's been 100,000 Ukrainians in the 18 months or 20 months since the war started, 100,000 Ukrainians all on the public dole, all paid for out of the Irish budget.
“Now some of that money's given by the EU, but the Irish politicians are by far the worst that are bought off by the EU."
Bannon's comments were incorrect. Ukrainian refugees can claim social assistance of €220 per week under the EU Temporary Protection Directive. Refugees from other countries receive only €39 per week.
Bannon went on: “You're seeing a natural blowback and you're really seeing it among working class people in the cities, Irish nationals, Irish citizens, whose family have been there for generations and generations and generations and have nothing to show for it.
“And also in the rural community. So Ireland is a powder keg.”
He also incorrectly claimed Ireland has no real opposition party, and that other small Irish parties, who he did not name, are "Trump inspired".
“There's really no true opposition party. We think from a populist nationalist perspective they've got a couple of small parties that are starting to grow, of course you got Sinn Féin who's the political arm of the IRA. They're more and more taking on a nationalistic bent.
“You’ve also got a couple of small parties, the ones kind of Trump inspired to combat this. But look, you talk about the great replacement theory, and people get very upset when you talk about it."
Bannon also criticised the proposed hate speech legislation, and mentioned the "great replacement theory".
This is a racist white nationalist conspiracy theory espoused by French author Renaud Camus, which is commonly referred to by far-right commentators.
The two commentators criticised An Garda Síochána, and promoted the rioters, without mention of the looting of shops or the burning of a Dublin Bus, Luas tram, and damage to fire engines.
Fox News fired Carlson, who was their top paid presenter, after emails and texts critical of management, which included sexist and racist remarks, were revealed in a court case.
Bannon hosts a popular right wing podcast called the War Room. He left the Trump istration in 2017 after falling out with a number of colleagues, including Trump's daughter Ivanka.
