US President Donald Trump has stirred fresh controversy by declaring he would “love to see” a unified Ireland during a weekend visit that mixed presidential diplomacy with his family’s business interests. The 80-year-old leader made the politically charged remarks while meeting Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin in Dublin on Saturday, breaking with Washington’s traditional neutrality on the historically sensitive issue.
“I don’t want to cause any problems, but I’d love to see it unified,” Trump told reporters at the meeting. “It’s going to happen eventually. It may as well happen now. I think it would be a fantastic thing.” He acknowledged that “the UK will have soing to say about it, obviously.” The comments caught both Irish hosts and British allies off guard, with pro-UK loyalists in Northern Ireland and mainland politicians pushing back against the unexpected intervention.
What prompted this sudden diplomatic gambit? Trump’s statements came during a two-day visit centered around the Irish Open tournament at his Trump Organization-owned golf course in Doonbeg, a remote village of 784 residents on Ireland’s west coast. The site has been under Trump family ownership since 2014.
The visit wasn’t universally welcomed. Protesters gathered in Dublin’s Phoenix Park, waving Irish and Palestinian flags while chanting “Donald Trump not welcome here.” Police cordoned off the area as demonstrators voiced opposition to the president’s policies and the blurring of his presidential duties with personal business interests. Eric and Don Jr. Trump, who manage the family business, joined their father for the golf tournament on Sunday before his departure to Washington.
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