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Just six weeks to go in the cynics among us might say the political posturing has begun already.

Will our politicians travel to Washington for St Patrick's Day this year?

If so, why? And if not, why not?

The DUP is on board already. Shunfayen says it'll make up its mind very soon, and in the meantime, the Irish government says it's sending its biggest diplomatic mission ever to the United States this year. What, if anything, then, does all of that mean for people living and working in Northern Ireland? More investment, more jobs, more overseas visitors this

summer. I'm Mark Carruthers. In this edition of Red Lines, we're weighing up the value of the annual

pilgrimage to the US capital, especially at a time when the current occupant of the White

House is unashamedly all about putting America first with me to talk that through, someone

who made countless St Patrick's Day

visits during his time as BBC Northern Ireland's political editor Mark Devonport.

Shane Greer is a Northern Ireland-born, Washington-based publisher and commentator, and Paul

Colgan is a business journalist who made a television documentary about Trump's Tariffs and Irish

America last year. Welcome to all of you, Mark. It's a bit of a tricksy one this, isn't it? Because

on the one hand, we've got the DUP and the Irish government taking this trip very seriously.

And then we've got Sinn Féin, which has been very invested in the occasion in the past, not at all convinced about it again this year.

Well, it's one of those typical Northern Ireland things where I think we might be treated to a kind of a row in front of stage where they've got very different views about Donald Trump and about the Middle East.

But in a way, the fact that you've got the First views about Donald Trump and about the Middle East.

But in a way, the fact that you've got the first and the deputy first is a bit of an insurance policy for Northern Ireland because potentially Sinn Féin can boycott the White House reception, steer clear of Donald Trump,

say to its supporters, we're having nothing to do with this man.

But at the same time, they know that Northern Ireland will nevertheless be represented there

because Emma Little Pangelli and probably other DUP ministers will go along there.

They know that their electorate is, if anything, much more sympathetic towards Israel.

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