Trump Says He Would ‘Love’ to See Ireland Reunified, Angering Northern Ireland Unionists

 

U.S. President Donald Trump has said he would “love” to see Northern Ireland reunify with the Republic of Ireland, touching off a sharp political reaction from pro-British unionists during his visit to Dublin.

Trump made the remarks Saturday after meeting Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin.

“Well, I don’t want to cause any problems, but I will tell you, I’d love to see it unified,” Trump told reporters.

“It’s going to happen eventually … I think it would be a fantastic thing,” he added, while acknowledging that the United Kingdom would have a say in the matter.

Trump later described Irish reunification as a “very cool thing,” although he also said there was no easy answer to the question.

Unionists Push Back

Trump’s comments drew an immediate response from Northern Ireland’s pro-union political leadership.

Gavin Robinson, leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), rejected Trump’s suggestion that reunification was inevitable.

“Northern Ireland’s constitutional future will be decided by the people of Northern Ireland,” Robinson said, arguing that the decision should not be determined by politicians in London, Dublin or Washington.

The comments also came shortly after British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said a referendum on Northern Ireland leaving the United Kingdom was currently “off the table.”

Burnham’s office said Saturday that the government’s position had not changed following Trump’s remarks.

Burnham previously told lawmakers that he was not aware of majority public support for another referendum and said there would not be one unless that situation changed.

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What the Good Friday Agreement Says

Northern Ireland’s constitutional future remains governed by the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, which helped end decades of sectarian conflict known as the Troubles.

Under the agreement, a referendum on whether Northern Ireland should remain part of the United Kingdom or become part of a united Ireland can be held at the discretion of the British government under the agreement’s provisions.

Opinion polls have generally shown a majority in Northern Ireland supporting the union with Britain, although the issue of Irish unity has gained greater attention in recent years.

The United States has historically played an important role in supporting the Northern Ireland peace process. Previous U.S. presidents have generally avoided taking a public position on whether Northern Ireland should remain in the UK or join a united Ireland.

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Trump Meets Irish Leaders

During his Dublin visit, Trump also met Irish President Catherine Connolly.

Connolly said afterward that she conveyed to Trump the Irish people’s opposition to the normalization of war and genocide.

Her comments came against the backdrop of Ireland’s criticism of U.S. military policy and Israel’s war in Gaza. Israel rejects the characterization of its actions in Gaza as genocide.

Trump’s visit also attracted thousands of protesters in Dublin, with demonstrators criticizing his foreign policy and chanting slogans supporting Palestine.

Despite the political tensions, Trump and Martin also emphasized the close economic relationship between Ireland and the United States.

U.S.-owned companies, particularly in the technology and pharmaceutical industries, employ a significant share of Ireland’s workforce.

Trump joked about the economic relationship, telling Martin that Ireland had benefited heavily from American businesses while saying there was still “a lot of room to go around.”

His comments on Irish reunification, however, are likely to remain the most politically significant part of his Dublin visit, particularly because of the sensitive constitutional divide between nationalists who support a united Ireland and unionists who want Northern Ireland to remain part of the United Kingdom.