Donald Trump has said Irish reunification “would be a fantastic thing” and predicted that the island will eventually be united, during a meeting with Ireland’s taoiseach, Micheál Martin.
The US president acknowledged that the subject was politically sensitive before voicing his support. “Well, I don’t want to cause any trouble,” he said. “But I will tell you, I’d love to see it unified.”
Trump later pointed towards Mr Martin and said: “It’s going to happen eventually. … I think it will happen now. You’ve got the right man over here to get it moving.”
“But yeah, I think it would be a fantastic thing. Now the UK will have something to say about obviously, but I think it would be a great thing,” he added.
Irish reunification remains a deeply divisive issue. Unionists, who are typically from Protestant backgrounds, generally want Northern Ireland to remain part of the United Kingdom, while nationalists, who are typically from Catholic backgrounds, support union with the Republic of Ireland.
The issue is governed by the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, which largely ended decades of sectarian violence during the Troubles. Under the agreement, reunification would require majority support in border polls held in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
Unionists reject outside commentary
Trump’s remarks prompted an immediate response from the UK Government and unionists. Downing Street pointed to comments made by Andy Burnham in August, when he played down the prospect of an imminent border poll in Northern Ireland.
Mr Burnham said such a vote was “off the table” and later confirmed he would “100 per cent” follow the Good Friday Agreement.
Gavin Robinson, leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, said Northern Ireland’s future “will be decided by the people of Northern Ireland, not by commentary in London, Dublin or Washington”.
US presidents have generally avoided explicit interventions on the question, despite President Joe Biden frequently referring to his Irish heritage.
Trump made the comments during a short visit to Ireland, where he held talks with political leaders before attending a tournament at one of his golf courses. His programme also included a meeting with Irish President Catherine Connolly and remarks to business leaders at the US ambassador’s residence.
Mr Connolly’s office said she had conveyed “the strong view of the Irish people that the normalisation of war and genocide can never be accepted”. Trump nevertheless described her as “terrific” during later remarks.
Thousands of people joined an anti-Trump march through central Dublin, with further protests reported in Doonbeg, where his golf course is located, and at Shannon Airport. Asked about demonstrations, Trump said he had been unaware of them and that they “can’t be a very big one”.
