Key facts
- U.S. President Donald Trump said he would "love to see" Ireland unified.
- Trump believes Irish reunification "is going to happen eventually".
- Trump's comments were made during a meeting with Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin.
- The UK Prime Minister's office stated its position on Irish unification is unchanged.
- The UK Prime Minister believes there is not majority support for unification to trigger a referendum.
U.S. President Donald Trump expressed his desire for a united Ireland, stating that he believes it will happen eventually. The remarks were made during a bilateral meeting with Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin in Dublin on Saturday. Trump indicated that while he would "love to see" unification and thought it would be a "great thing," he recognized that the UK would have a role in any such decision. The Good Friday Accord of 1998, which largely settled the conflict over Northern Ireland's constitutional future, specified that Northern Ireland should remain part of the U.K. as long as most voters support it.
Following Trump's comments, a spokesperson for the UK Prime Minister's office reiterated on Saturday that the prime minister's position on Irish unification remains unchanged. The prime minister previously stated in parliament that he was not aware of majority public support for another referendum on the issue and that until that changed, there would not be one.
Trump's visit also included a meeting with Irish President Catherine Connolly, where she conveyed the "strong view of the Irish people that the normalisation of war and genocide can never be accepted." Trump is scheduled to attend the Irish Open golf tournament at his resort in Doonbeg.