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Neil Munro pictured in the White House Rose Garden yesterday Haraz N. Ghanbari/AP/Press Association Images

Irish-born reporter who interrupted Obama says focus on him is ‘ridiculous’

Neil Munro tells TheJournal.ie that he asked a conventional and obvious question of the US President in the White House Rose Garden yesterday.

THE IRISH-BORN journalist who caused controversy yesterday when he interrupted US president Barack Obama during a speech on immigration has said the focus on him is “ridiculous”.

Speaking to TheJournal.ie last night, Neil Munro – who was born, raised and educated in Ireland – said that he asked a “conventional, obvious question” during yesterday’s White House Rose Garden press conference.

But he caused controversy in Washington circles when he interrupted Obama mid-speech to ask him: “Why’d you favour foreigners over Americans?”

A visibly annoyed Obama responded that it was not time for questions and later addressed Munro’s point by saying that the decision to stop deporting the children of illegal immigrants was “the right thing to do for the American people.”

As he walked away from the podium, Munro shouted: “What about American workers who are unemployed, while you employ foreigners?”

In an email to TheJournal.ie, Munro said:

It is ridiculous for reporters to focus on a reporter who asks a conventional, obvious question. Farmers don’t fuss over a farmer who milked the cows, and welders don’t talk about welders who have welded something.

Watch:

YouTube: TalkRadioNews

Munro’s path from Gonzaga College in Dublin to being the White House correspondent for The Daily Caller is an interesting one.

Munro confronts US Attorney General Eric Holder following a press conference at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building across from the White House last November (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

The former UCD student said that his interest in writing started with an archivist job at an Irish government funded magazine near Clonskeagh in the early 1980s.

“The magazine was called ‘Strategy & Defence’. They hired me because I could tell the difference between an F-15 and an F-15E, and between a Hotel class submarine and a Whiskey class submarine,” he explained.

“That eventually led me to the United States where I got a job at National Journal in 1999 or so. There, I did a few good articles about stem-cells, the Tea Party, transsexuals, and Islam.

After eleven years at the National Journal, Munro moved to Washington DC where he became White House correspondent for The Daily Caller where he says he writes “for Americans outside the beltway.”

“Indirectly, they gave me a Green Card, so I should repay them,” he added.

Though he works in the States, Munro did have a close encounter with our own leader – not quite as confrontational as his one with the US President yesterday – when Taoiseach Enda Kenny visited the White House for St Patrick’s Day last March.

He recalled the meeting: “I was racking my brains to think of a question that would be amusing for our readers but that would not embarrass him. He turned around, shook my hand and said hello. I mumbled a response.”

Video: Irish-born reporter interrupts Barack Obama at press conference

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    Mute Brian Ward
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    Nov 6th 2015, 8:04 PM

    I love how the Journal prints c%%t in the article but bans it from commenting!

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    Mute Stefan Epure
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    Nov 6th 2015, 9:51 PM

    Aarons in Carrick On Suir have been selling them for years…

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    Mute Beachmaster
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    Nov 6th 2015, 7:57 PM

    If you ask for another is it called sloppy seconds?

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    Mute O Swetenham
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    Nov 6th 2015, 7:47 PM

    Looks messy. To be honest if I was drunk I’d probably eat a deep fried Doc Marten filled with cheese and taco sauce. I’m not that picky.

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    Mute Suzie Sunshine
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    Nov 6th 2015, 8:39 PM

    Nope , it’s got to be a slop box , chips , cocktail sausages with curry sauce and ketchup on top .!

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    Mute Adrian
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    Nov 6th 2015, 7:40 PM

    Isn’t that just a taco kebab?

    115
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    Mute IrishGravyTrain
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    Nov 6th 2015, 7:45 PM

    Ooooh. You started it now. You started it.

    74
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    Mute Supernova
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    Nov 6th 2015, 7:38 PM

    Sounds like a kinky sex position

    83
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    Mute Elma Phudd
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    Nov 6th 2015, 7:43 PM

    Floppy Solely, trying to have a tug after a feed of pints?

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    Mute Ger Buckley
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    Nov 7th 2015, 1:13 AM

    Think of the bowl lads….easy in easy out.

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    Mute Vladimir Vasyectomy
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    Nov 6th 2015, 7:45 PM

    It’s not a proper Irish ‘taco’ unless it’s served wrapper up in a tinker’s knickers.

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    Mute Libtard
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    Nov 6th 2015, 7:55 PM

    Travellerphobe

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    Mute Vladimir Vasyectomy
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    Nov 7th 2015, 12:37 AM

    Libtard
    - Just because I love eatin’ me chips out of a tinker’s knickers……??
    Gadblashtit, – sure isn’t that a mighty compliment to our glorious ‘ ethnic minority.’…….???

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    Mute Risteárd
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    Nov 6th 2015, 11:59 PM

    I’m from Cork and well acquainted with the chippers all over but I’ve never heard of a Sloppy Foley and never heard of Murphy’s chipper! Could they be jumping on a recent advertising bandwagon I wonder???

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    Mute johnnyblaze2004
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    Nov 7th 2015, 12:59 AM

    No, you just live on the south side.

    52
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    Mute Robert Nodwell
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    Nov 7th 2015, 8:36 AM

    Some of the best chippers in Cork are on the northside; Murphy’s, Looney’s in Mayfield and Tasty Snacks in Churchfield, all much nicer than that KC’s gunk.

    17
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    Mute Hypernova
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    Nov 6th 2015, 7:53 PM

    The King Creole in KC’s is another Cork Institution as are the Buffalo burgers in the Fish Wife.

    43
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    Mute MK76
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    Nov 6th 2015, 8:09 PM

    Lennox’s.

    Cop on people.

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    Mute Rónán O'Suilleabháin
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    Nov 6th 2015, 9:27 PM

    Overrated, reputation only for a good number of years now.

    Golden fry in Ballinlough is the berries

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    Mute John Doyle
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    Nov 6th 2015, 7:44 PM

    Good hangover food

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    Mute Integra-Ted
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    Nov 6th 2015, 8:31 PM

    A Coronary heart attack in a wrap!

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    Mute Clúmháin Ó'Braonáin
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    Nov 6th 2015, 7:52 PM

    better than kc’s?

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    Mute Rehabmeerkat
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    Nov 6th 2015, 7:56 PM

    Most things are….

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    Mute Arthur Pewty
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    Nov 6th 2015, 7:57 PM

    better than KC’s? are you mad?

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    Mute Clúmháin Ó'Braonáin
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    Nov 6th 2015, 8:07 PM

    that’s why I asked! only thing that can beat kc’s is more kc’s.

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    Mute Richard Curtis
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    Nov 6th 2015, 9:03 PM

    Curry cheese chips all day long. Invented in Galway 1997

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    Mute Al
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    Nov 6th 2015, 9:07 PM

    That sounds rotten.

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    Mute Missyb211
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    Nov 7th 2015, 9:01 AM

    curry , chip, cheese and garlic sauce!!!

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    Mute Periguin
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    Nov 7th 2015, 9:31 AM

    Curry/coleslaw chips, invented at the oasis, Galway 1985.

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    Mute Mark Ryan
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    Nov 6th 2015, 9:44 PM

    New yorker in tralee… Put stuffing in your snack box!!

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    Mute Fran Rooney
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    Nov 6th 2015, 8:42 PM

    What’s the secret ingredient…Cough Syrup??

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    Mute Al
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    Nov 6th 2015, 9:01 PM

    The Scots would be proud Corkonians. Ive tried a spice bag in Dublin ill try a sloppy Foley when next in Cork.

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    Mute Gavin Delves
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    Nov 7th 2015, 8:30 AM

    I’ve got them in Dublin a few times over the years there called taco chip kebabs ‘

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    Mute Missyb211
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    Nov 7th 2015, 9:04 AM

    Son of a Bun in Cork if you like your burger pink (half raw but HSE approved)

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    Mute Joe Hogan
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    Nov 7th 2015, 12:49 AM

    Muppet Bnadwagones

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    Mute raparee
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    Nov 7th 2015, 1:58 AM

    Looks like poutine in a tortilla.

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