Key facts
- Donald Trump said he would "love to see" a united Ireland.
- Trump believes Irish reunification "is going to happen eventually."
- The comments were made during a meeting with Taoiseach Micheál Martin at Farmleigh House.
- Trump acknowledged the UK would have a say in any reunification.
- SDLP leader Claire Hanna stated that unionist parties' alignment with Trump exposed the "folly" of their approach.
- Sinn Féin stated Trump's comments reflect a widely held view that Ireland should be reunited.
US President Donald Trump has expressed his desire for a united Ireland, stating that he "would love to see" it and believes it "is going to happen eventually." He made these remarks during a meeting with Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin at Farmleigh House in Dublin. Trump acknowledged that the UK would have a significant role in any such political development.
During the meeting, Trump told reporters, "I don’t want to cause any trouble, but I will tell you, I’d love to see [Ireland] unified. I think it would be a great feather in everybody’s cap if that happened. It’s going to happen eventually."
In response to Trump's comments, SDLP leader Claire Hanna suggested that unionist parties seeking to align with the former president had exposed the "folly" of their strategy. Sinn Féin stated that Trump's remarks reflect a common sentiment in Ireland and the US that the island should be reunited. Conversely, unionist politicians such as UUP leader Jon Burrows and TUV's Sammy Morrison dismissed the comments as jokes or not to be taken seriously. Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly also characterized the remarks as "banter."