Donald Trump Endorses United Ireland During Dublin Visit
President Donald Trump stated on September 12, 2026, during a visit to Dublin alongside Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin, that he would “love” to see a united Ireland and suggested the constitutional change “may as well happen now,” drawing immediate pushback from the UK government and Northern Ireland unionist leaders.
Dublin Press Conference Sparks Rebuttal from London and Belfast
The unexpected intervention occurred at the start of a two-day visit to Ireland.
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“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.”
The remarks immediately broke with the diplomatic neutrality maintained by previous US administrations regarding Northern Ireland’s constitutional future. Under the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, Northern Ireland remains part of the United Kingdom as long as a majority of its voters support that status. A referendum on leaving the UK rests entirely at the discretion of the British government.
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham stated two weeks prior that a border poll was “off the table,” a position Downing Street reaffirmed following Trump’s comments.
Unionist Opposition and Local Political Fallout
Northern Ireland’s unionist leadership rejected the US president’s prediction. Gavin Robinson, leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), emphasized that the region’s future belongs to its inhabitants rather than foreign commentary.
Robinson added that unionists have no interest in the “destruction of our country by joining with the Irish republic.”
Meetings in Dublin and Subsequent Travel to County Clare
Prior to his joint appearance with Martin, Trump met with Irish President Catherine Connolly at Áras an Uachtaráin in Phoenix Park, Dublin. Connolly, who assumed the ceremonial presidency last year, conveyed the strong view of the Irish people regarding international conflicts and the United Nations, according to official statements outlined by The Guardian.
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Economic ties also featured in bilateral discussions. Micheál Martin focused on the deep economic integration between the two nations, noting that US-owned technology and pharmaceutical companies employ approximately 10% of the Irish workforce.
Following the engagements in Dublin, Trump departed for County Clare to visit his golf resort in Doonbeg, which is hosting the Irish Open. Anti-war and anti-Trump demonstrations were organized in Dublin and near the Doonbeg resort to coincide with the trip.