Twitter backlash as House speaker Paul Ryan expresses pride in Irish roots in wake of Trump ban
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Twitter backlash as House speaker Paul Ryan expresses pride in Irish roots in wake of Trump ban

SPEAKER of the US House of Representatives, Paul Ryan, has come under fire for tweeting his ‘pride’ in his Irish roots.

The Republican House speaker tweeted of his ancestry while meeting with Department of Foreign Affairs Minister Charlie Flanagan in Washington earlier this week.

“I take great pride in my Irish roots,” Speaker Ryan said, “so it was a pleasure to have Ireland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs visit my office yesterday.”

Speaker Ryan is from Wisconsin but his paternal great-great-grandfather was born in Ireland before emigrating the America.

Ryan came under fire from both Irish and Irish Americans for celebrating his immigrant roots while supporting President Trump’s ban on immigration from seven Muslim-majority nations.

Last week, Trump signed an Executive Order banning immigration to the US from Iraq, Syria, Sudan, Iran, Somalia, Libya and Yemen for 90 days.

"Embarrassed you have any Irish roots!" tweeted one user. "Your Government's actions and treatment of the vulnerable and marginalised is shameful."

"I'm an economic migrant and ashamed of you," said another, "your family fled, yet you shun those in need now."

Read some of the tweets to Speaker Ryan below…