“I’m gonna come visit as soon as I can.”
CNN news anchor John King has said he wants to visit Ireland soon so he can retrace his roots in the country.
King became a regular staple in many Irish homes this month as viewers tracked the results of the US presidential election.
Of course, Irish people weren’t long discovering his Galway roots and he quickly became a popular figure among the Irish people interested in the election results.
King joined Sunday with Miriam on RTÉ Radio One to discuss his coverage of the election which he called “exciting but exhausting” and also to talk about the family he has in Ireland.
“I am 100% Irish – well, Irish American – and I grew up in the Irish Catholic neighbourhood of Dorchester in Boston. I was one of seven children, five boys and two girls,” he told Miriam.
“We did not have much money but there was a lot of love, laughter and song.”
Speaking on his newfound fame in Ireland in the light of the US presidential election, he said it’s erupted an urge to return to his roots.
“[That] has been a heart-warming part of this exposure – my little five minutes of fame, if we wanna call it that – is that it’s stirring up all these great family histories,” King said.
“My mission out of this election is, I keep telling [cousin Jacqueline Kenny], I’m gonna come visit as soon as I can.”
Responding to the accusations of media bias and “fake news CNN” pronouncements from President Trump, King said it was a sad reality that the current president lies.
“This is a political strategy,” he said.
“I find it sad, but [President Trump’s] political strategy is to attack our business and especially attack anyone who calls him out.
“And again, it’s sad, but the President of the United States – the current president – lies. And lies a lot. And that is supported by fact checks. That’s not a personal opinion.”
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