“I want to see Ireland unified” — Trump

“I want to see a united Ireland” — Trump

US President Donald Trump stated on September 12 that he would “very much like to see” Ireland unite with Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom. This statement was immediately criticized by unionists in the region — those who support remaining part of the UK.

These remarks came two weeks after the new British Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, stated that plans to hold a referendum on Northern Ireland leaving the United Kingdom were not on the agenda.

“I don’t want to cause any problems, but to be honest, I would very much like to see the country united. It’s going to happen sooner or later anyway,” Trump told reporters during a visit to Dublin ahead of a golf tournament at his resort.

Sitting alongside Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin, Trump continued:

“Of course, the UK will have its own opinion on this as well. But I think it would be a wonderful thing,” he added.

Later, at an event with business leaders, Trump said there was “no easy answer” to the question, but he reiterated his opinion once again, stating that unification would be a wonderful thing.

Under the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, the right to call a referendum in Northern Ireland belongs to the British government. The country is obliged to hold a vote if it appears likely that a majority of the population in Northern Ireland would vote for a united Ireland.

This agreement ended decades of conflict between Irish nationalists, who want a united Ireland, and unionists, who want Northern Ireland to remain part of the United Kingdom.

Opinion polls show that a majority in Northern Ireland still favor remaining part of the United Kingdom. However, this gap has narrowed slightly since Britain left the European Union. Ireland remained in the EU. For Northern Ireland, special arrangements were introduced to prevent a hard border and trade barriers on the island.

Gavin Robinson, leader of Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party, objected to Trump’s remarks. He emphasized that Northern Ireland is part of the UK because it is the clear democratic will of the people.

“President Trump knows better than anyone how important elections are. The constitutional future of Northern Ireland will be decided by the people of Northern Ireland, not by commentary from London, Dublin, or Washington,” he wrote on his X page.

Protests against Trump were held in Dublin and near Trump’s international golf resort in Doonbeg. Palestinian flags were also raised among the protesters.

Ireland is one of the most supportive countries of Palestine within the European Union. In July, the country passed a law restricting trade in goods with Israeli-occupied settlements in the West Bank. US lawmakers and the US ambassador to Ireland had criticized this law.

Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin has so far avoided political disagreements with the US.

“The relationship between Ireland and the United States is economically very important. It is of great significance to both sides,” he told reporters ahead of the visit.

The Trump Organization took control of the Doonbeg golf resort in 2014. The Irish Open golf tournament is taking place there this weekend. Trump is expected to participate in presenting the trophy to the winner of the tournament on September 13.

Earlier, it was reported that Ireland had banned two Israeli ministers, specifically Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, from entering the country. The reason given was their statements advocating for the expulsion of Palestinians from Palestine.