U.S. President Donald Trump declared support for a unified Ireland during a golf trip to Dublin on Sept. 12, 2026.
Sitting beside Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin, Trump expressed his desire to see the island brought together.
Praising Martin as the right leader, Trump voiced enthusiasm for unification.
Trump stated, “I’d love to see it unified.”
Reflecting on the outcome, Trump added, “I think it’d be a great thing.”
Northern Ireland remained part of the U.K. when the rest of Ireland won independence a century ago.
The 1998 Good Friday peace deal ended decades of bloodshed, stipulating Northern Ireland remains British while voters support it.
Democratic Unionist leader Gavin Robinson rejected the president’s remarks on social media.
Robinson wrote, “As unionists we are not interested in the destruction of our country by joining with the Irish Republic.”
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald urged Martin to plan for unity.
Social Democratic and Labour Party leader Claire Hanna reacted with humor in Belfast.
Hanna joked, “Turns out he’s not as orange as he looks.”
Trump later addressed political figures at the residence of the U.S. ambassador.
Trump remarked, “There’s no good answer, right?”