Trump Calls Unified Ireland 'Fantastic' During Dublin Visit
Donald Trump said a united Ireland would be 'fantastic' and predicted it would happen eventually, before later acknowledging there is 'no good answer' to the question.
US President Donald Trump waded into the sensitive debate over Irish reunification on Saturday, telling a reporter he would "love to see it unified" and predicting that the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland would eventually merge.
Speaking during a meeting with Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin in Dublin, Trump said reunification was "going to happen eventually" and that "it may as well happen now." Asked for his view on the issue, he added: "I think it would be a fantastic thing," while noting that "the UK will have something to say about it, obviously."
The comments came during a weekend visit by the US president to a tournament at his Irish golf course.
Hours later, at a gathering with business leaders from both countries at the US ambassador's residence, Trump appeared to step back from his earlier remarks, acknowledging there was "no good answer" to the reunification question.
The intervention touches on one of the most divisive issues in Irish and British politics. Northern Ireland's constitutional future is contested between nationalists, who are predominantly Catholic and broadly favour joining the Republic of Ireland, and unionists, who are largely Protestant and want to remain part of the United Kingdom.
The divide traces back to the partition of Ireland and the decades of sectarian and political violence known as the Troubles. The 1998 Good Friday Agreement largely ended the conflict and set out a framework under which Northern Ireland's future is decided by democratic consent. A referendum on unification can be held if it appears likely that a majority would vote to leave the UK and join the Republic.
Any movement toward such a vote remains politically fraught, with experts warning it could reopen divisions between the two communities. The UK government has said a referendum should be considered only when there is clear evidence that a majority in Northern Ireland favours unification.
Trump's remarks are likely to draw mixed reactions in Ireland, where his visit has already faced opposition. Demonstrators were seen protesting in Dublin, carrying banners, balloons and Irish flags against his presence in the country.