CA, US & World
Trump’s Ireland Visit Draws Protests After Comments on Irish Unification
President Donald Trump is in Ireland this weekend for a two-day visit that includes meetings with Irish officials and an appearance at the Irish Open at his golf resort in Doonbeg.
Trump met Saturday with Irish President Catherine Connolly and Taoiseach Micheál Martin in Dublin. The visit is not an official state visit, but included several diplomatic engagements before Trump traveled to County Clare for the golf tournament.
The trip also drew thousands of protesters in Dublin and other parts of Ireland. Demonstrations focused largely on U.S. foreign policy, the war in the Middle East and support for Palestinian rights.
But Trump's comments about the future of Northern Ireland generated the strongest political reaction.
During his meeting with Martin, Trump said he would "love to see" Ireland unified, referring to the possibility of Northern Ireland joining the Republic of Ireland. He said he believed unification would happen eventually and suggested it might as well happen now.
Northern Ireland has been part of the United Kingdom since 1921, while the Republic of Ireland is an independent country. The question of Northern Ireland's constitutional status has been at the center of decades of political conflict between Irish nationalists and pro-British unionists.
The 1998 Good Friday Agreement established a framework for determining Northern Ireland's constitutional future, including the possibility of referendums if the required conditions are met.
Trump's remarks prompted an immediate response from the U.K. government and unionist politicians. Democratic Unionist Party leader Gavin Robinson said Northern Ireland's future should be decided by its people. The British government said it does not currently believe there is sufficient support for a referendum on unification.
Trump's visit is centered largely on the Irish Open at Trump International Golf Links in Doonbeg, where he is expected to present the tournament trophy before returning to the United States.
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By: NBC Palm Springs
September 13, 2026
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