President O’Biden: ‘I may be Irish, but I’m not stupid’

Giacoppa was actually first lady Jill Biden’s grandfather, not her father. Biden has made the Giacoppa joke in the past, including at an opera ball hosted by then-Italian Ambassador Claudio Bisogniero in 2013.

Biden spent much of his remarks extolling the relationship between the United States and Ireland, especially in the face of an incoming wave of Ukrainian refugees, but also touched on how St. Patrick’s Day is a reminder that bipartisanship can still exist in Washington.

“You know, the good spirits and feelings as well that exist on St. Patrick’s Day seems to be one of those few times — and I shouldn’t say few — we should have more times like this for Democrats and Republicans to get together, and we actually not only agree on one thing, but we remind ourselves we actually like each other,” he continued. “That’s a useful thing.”