Irish politicians have accused the Republican Party in the United States of racism and paddywhackery over a tweet attacking Democratic presidential hopeful Beto O'Rourke.
Yesterday the party's official account published a 1998 mugshot of O'Rourke from a drink-driving arrest, mocked up with a leprechaun hat and a sign reading "please drink responsibly".
"On this St. Paddy's Day, a special message from noted Irishman Robert Francis O'Rourke," it said.
Fianna Fáil's Dublin councillor Paul McAuliffe said the post should be immediately removed.
"A lot of people are just enjoying being Irish and enjoying the celebration, and this is a cack-handed attempt by a two-bit hack," he said.
"It's racist, they should apologise, they should retract it."
On a day we should be promoting the positive aspects of Irish culture, a mainstream political party seeks to use an outdated and racist stereotype in a political attack on @BetoORourke. If this was a religious reference we would see an immediate retraction and resignations. https://t.co/flTpBX0HI3
— Paul McAuliffe TD (@PaulMcauliffe) March 17, 2019
