Irish Tanaiste (Deputy Prime Minister) Leo Varadkar had a TV spot ruined when a skateboard-toting woman approached and chucked what looked like a cup of coffee in his face, before fleeing the scene.
In footage that circulated on social media on Friday, Varadkar could be seen recording a piece to camera in Dublin's Merrion Square. A woman spoke briefly to the TV crew, approached Varadkar, and then threw what appeared to be a cup of coffee or tea into his face, drenching the Tanaiste’s crisp suit.
As a startled Varadkar shook off the liquid, the masked miscreant fled on foot.
Varadkar served as Ireland’s Taoiseach (Prime Minister) until June, stepping into the number two role after his party, Fine Gael, formed a coalition government with Fianna Fail and the Green Party following a tight election in February. Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin replaced Varadkar as Taoiseach after the parties agreed a rotating-leadership system.
The Fine Gael leader left office a popular leader, enjoying an approval rating of 75 percent in June. However, Varadkar's alliance with Martin was a sticking point for many supporters, and Fianna Fail has since cratered in popularity, scoring only 10 percent approval in a recent poll.
The motive behind Friday’s beverage ambush is unknown. Varadkar himself joked in a press conference that he "thought it was Avril Lavigne at first when I saw this girl approaching with a skateboard and a smoothie." The Tanaiste added that he would speak to police next week, but doesn't believe that he needs a security detail.
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