Watch: Biden bagpipes blunder

President Biden makes much of his links to the Emerald Isle, in no small part perhaps because 35 million of his countrymen view themselves as Irish American and live disproportionately in swing states. 

Biden, who proudly describes himself as ‘five eights’ Irish once responded to a British journalist ‘BBC? I’m Irish’ and was clearly keen to remind Americans of his links this week for St Patrick’s Day. His POTUS account tweeted a video of him greeting a bagpiper in the White House with the caption ‘They really know how to make an Irishman feel special at the White House.’

While no doubt intended in the best spirit, Mr S cannot help but note that the piper in question is playing Scottish bagpipes– as opposed to Uilleann pipes which are blown by inflating the bellows – and doing so while stood in a Scottish kilt, Scottish brogues and a Scottish Glengarry hat.