Footage has emerged of Leo Varadkar being verbally abused by a motorist, whilst out jogging in Dublin.
This horrible footage shows the Fine Gael leader running along the Dublin Quays. It also shows a man rolling down his window, before shouting abuse at him.
A group of men can also be heard jeering at Varadkar. “here Leo, you’re a p***k”, one of them shouted.
Varadkar was also branded a “f*****g w****r”. The Tánaiste responded by telling the men to “have a good day”.
The video was initially shared to TikTok and later uploaded to Twitter. Check it out for yourselves below.
Unreal pic.twitter.com/NjUTLeey9o
— Dubs life (@dubslife1) April 11, 2022
“disgusting behaviour” – Viewers Condemn Varadkar Abuse
After the video surfaced online, people were quick to condemn the motorist who verbally attacked Varadkar, while praising the Tánaiste for being calm in a difficult situation.
‘Absolutely disgusting behaviour. #Ireland #Taoiseach (Deputy Prime Minister) @LeoVaradkar verbally abused and intimidated during his daily run”, one person wrote. “I do not understand people in the 21st century. We are seriously going backwards instead of evolving”.
Another viewer called the incident “disgraceful”. They also added, “Whatever your political views we all really need to ask ourselves how we expect to have a functioning political system that attracts capable leaders. If this is what they will be expected to deal with”.
Another viewer also wrote, “You may not agree with the job he’s doing but outside of work hours he’s a normal person. No need for this”.
Elsewhere, Leo Varadkar had said that he will speak to Justice Minister Helen McEntee over Garda presence in the city centre. This comes after a man sustained series facial injuries following a homophobic attack over the weekend.
“There’s a sense among the community that there has been an uptick in verbal abuse on the streets and even assaults”, he said. “I am not sure if that’s backed up by real evidence but it has people worried”.
“It would be sad if we fell backward given how far we have come as a society”, he continued. “I am going to talk to Helen [McEntee] about it in the context of the Garda presence in the city centre and the plans to strengthen our hate crime laws”.
Last week, the Tánaiste also promised to “offset” the rise of carbon tax. More on that here.
