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President Donald Trump doubled down on his support for a united Ireland during the second day of his visit, telling reporters at his Doonbeg resort that combining Northern Ireland with the Republic seemed entirely natural. The US president made the remarks after watching tournament leader Shane Lowry tee off at the Irish Open, according to BBC News. Trump characterised his initial statement as fairly routine and reiterated his affection for the Irish people while speaking at Trump International Golf Links in County Clare.
During his meeting with Taoiseach Micheál Martin the previous day in Dublin, Trump had declared that he would love to see unification and predicted it would happen eventually, Reuters reported. “Well, I don’t want to cause any problems, but I will tell you, I’d love to see it unified,” Trump told reporters according to accounts from the joint appearance. He added that the development would represent a great feather in everybody’s cap and insisted the UK would have a say even as he framed it as a fantastic outcome.
Unionist leaders moved quickly to reject any external influence on Northern Ireland’s status, with Democratic Unionist Party leader Gavin Robinson stating that the constitutional future would be decided solely by the people of Northern Ireland rather than commentary from Washington, as carried by The Irish News. Robinson described potential unification with the Republic as the destruction of the country and expressed confidence that Northern Ireland would continue to choose the United Kingdom. British Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s office reaffirmed that a referendum remained off the table because no majority currently supports the change, according to statements relayed by The Guardian.
Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald said the conversation around unity had shifted and placed the responsibility on the Taoiseach to begin planning, RTE reported. Former Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams called Trump’s position welcome and urged the establishment of a citizens’ assembly to examine constitutional change, the Irish Independent noted. The Social Democratic and Labour Party responded with humour, suggesting the remarks showed Trump was not as orange as he appears in reference to traditional unionist colours.
The island of Ireland has remained divided since partition in 1921, with Northern Ireland forming part of the United Kingdom while the Republic gained independence, a division outlined in coverage by multiple outlets including CNN. The 1998 Good Friday Agreement, which the United States helped broker under President Bill Clinton according to Reuters, established the principle of consent whereby a border poll can only occur if it appears likely to secure majority approval. Trump’s public stance departs from the careful neutrality maintained by most previous American presidents on this issue.
The visit has combined official meetings in Dublin with time at the president’s own golf resort in Doonbeg, where the Irish Open is taking place this weekend, ITV News reported. Trump also addressed business leaders and attended events at the US ambassador’s residence during his stay. No alterations to existing Irish or British policy on the constitutional question have been announced following the exchange.
