Trump Backs United Ireland During Dublin Visit

U.S. President Donald Trump said he would “love” to see Northern Ireland unite with Ireland, breaking with the traditionally neutral position taken by previous U.S. presidents on the politically sensitive issue.

Speaking alongside Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin during a visit to Dublin on Saturday, Trump predicted Irish unification would eventually happen.

“Well, I don’t want to cause any problems, but I will tell you, I’d love to see it unified,” Trump said. “It’s going to happen eventually ... I think it would be a fantastic thing.”

His comments came weeks after British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said a referendum on Northern Ireland leaving the United Kingdom was “off the table.” Downing Street said Saturday that its position had not changed.

Under the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, which largely ended three decades of sectarian violence in Northern Ireland, the British government has discretion over whether to call a referendum on Irish unity. Polls continue to show a majority favor remaining in the UK, although the gap has narrowed since Brexit.

Democratic Unionist Party leader Gavin Robinson strongly rejected Trump’s remarks, warning that unification would mean “the destruction of our country.” He said Northern Ireland’s constitutional future must be determined by its people rather than politicians in Washington, London or Dublin.

Trump later acknowledged there was “no good answer” to the question but again described a united Ireland as potentially “a very cool thing.”

During his Dublin trip, Trump also met Irish President Catherine Connolly, who expressed concerns about the “normalisation of war and genocide.” Thousands of demonstrators later marched through Dublin in an anti-war protest.

Economic relations also featured prominently in Trump’s talks with Martin. U.S.-owned technology and pharmaceutical companies employ about 10% of Ireland’s workforce.

Trump jokingly accused Ireland of attracting American medical companies, saying, “You fleeced us but that’s okay,” while emphasizing that U.S.-Irish relations remained strong.