US President Donald Trump has expressed his desire for a united Ireland, stating he would "love" to see it happen and that it "may as well happen now." The comments were made on Saturday at the beginning of a two-day visit to Ireland.
Speaking at a joint press conference with Taoiseach Micheál Martin in Dublin, President Trump said, "I don’t want to cause any problems, but I will tell you, I’d love to see it unified." He added, "I think it would be a great feather in everybody’s cap if that happened. You know what? The way I look at it, it’s going to happen eventually. It may as well happen now."
This intervention prompted a swift rebuttal from the UK government and Northern Ireland’s unionist leaders. A Downing Street spokesperson reiterated that the prime minister believes there is not the required support for unification to trigger a referendum, in line with the Good Friday Agreement. Gavin Robinson, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader, stated that Northern Ireland’s constitutional future would be decided by its people.
President Trump later acknowledged that his remarks, made in response to a reporter’s question, would be controversial. He described unification as a "very cool thing."
President Trump's visit is primarily focused on golf, with him flying to his resort in Doonbeg, County Clare, which is hosting the Irish Open. He is expected to present the Irish Open trophy before returning to Washington on Sunday.