Trump says a unified Ireland would be ‘fantastic’ during Irish visit

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham maintains that a canvass is ‘off the table’ arsenic determination isn’t capable fashionable enactment for Northern Ireland to permission the UK.

United States President Donald Trump has said that a unified Ireland would beryllium “fantastic”, successful remarks made during a sojourn to Dublin that were not welcomed by authorities ministers successful London.

Trump’s comments connected Saturday came weeks aft British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said a referendum connected Northern Ireland leaving the United Kingdom was “off the table”.

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“Well, I don’t privation to origin immoderate problems, but I volition archer you, I’d emotion to spot it unified,” Trump told reporters, portion sitting adjacent to Ireland’s Prime Minister, Micheal Martin.

“It’s going to hap yet … I deliberation it would beryllium a fantastic thing,” helium said.

“Now the UK volition person thing to accidental astir it … but I deliberation it would beryllium a large thing,” helium added.

Martin declined to respond to reporters’ questions to remark connected the US president’s remarks.

Following Trump’s comments, a spokesperson for Burnham said his presumption connected Irish unification remained unchanged.

Responding to questions from members of parliament connected Wednesday astir a imaginable canvass successful Northern Ireland, Burnham said: “I americium not alert that determination is bulk nationalist enactment for different referendum, and until that changes, determination volition not beryllium one”.

Donald Trump is welcomed by Ireland’s President Catherine Connolly astatine her authoritative residence successful Dublin, September 12, 2026 [Kin Cheung/AP]

Under the presumption of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement (also known arsenic the Belfast Agreement), a referendum connected leaving the UK tin beryllium held lone astatine the discretion of the British government.

The accord ended 3 decades of unit known arsenic The Troubles. The sectarian struggle progressive mostly Catholic nationalist paramilitaries seeking a agreed Ireland, mostly Protestant unionist paramilitaries wanting to stay portion of the UK, and British troops.

Gavin Robinson, person of the DUP, Northern Ireland’s main unionist party, said that Northern Ireland’s aboriginal was a substance for its radical to decide, not Trump.

“President Trump knows amended than astir that elections matter. Northern Ireland’s law aboriginal volition beryllium decided by the radical of Northern Ireland, not by commentary successful London, Dublin oregon Washington.”

While polls amusement a comfy bulk successful Northern Ireland favour remaining successful the UK, the spread has narrowed somewhat since Britain’s departure from the European Union pushed unity higher up the governmental agenda.

Trump besides met Irish President Catherine Connolly, who was elected caput of authorities past year. When Trump past visited Ireland arsenic president successful 2019, Connolly, an outspoken person with left-wing overseas argumentation views, protested astatine Shannon Airport successful occidental Ireland.

During Trump’s existent visit, immoderate supporters had urged her to talk retired against US subject actions astir the satellite and support Ireland’s neutrality.

People instrumentality portion successful a protestation against the sojourn of US President Donald Trump successful the Irish superior Dublin connected September 12, 2026 [Adrian Dennis/AFP]

Anti-Trump protests

Anti-war and anti-Trump protests were held successful Dublin and immoderate were planned for aboriginal successful occidental Ireland, adjacent Trump’s play people successful Doonbeg.

Reporting from the capital, Al Jazeera’s Milena Veselinovic said Dubliners had a “laundry list” of reasons for protesting against Trump’s visit.

“They consciousness that the Irish authorities should not be, successful their words, rolling retired the reddish carpet for idiosyncratic similar Trump, who they accidental is simply a origin of instability successful the satellite and has been enabling Israel’s actions successful Gaza … and destabilised the full of the Middle East.”

Irish radical are besides protesting against the precocious outgo of hosting Trump, including security, which they accidental could wage for different things, specified arsenic healthcare and societal issues, added Veselinovic.