Monday 14 / September / 2026
Doonbeg [Ireland]: US President Donald Trump on Sunday reiterated his support for Irish unification, saying it would be natural for the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland to become part of a single political entity.
Trump made the remarks while attending the Irish Open at his golf course in Doonbeg in western Ireland. He said, "It just seems to me that you have Northern Ireland and you have Ireland, and it would seem to me that one of the naturals of all time is put them together."
The comments come against the backdrop of longstanding political sensitivities surrounding the constitutional status of Northern Ireland.
Trump had on Saturday described the prospect of Irish unification as "fantastic", prompting reactions from political figures in Ireland, the UK and Northern Ireland.
Irish Prime Minister Michel Martin called for "keep a calm perspective" on the issue, while suggesting that some of the reaction to Trump's remarks had gone too far.
The dispute over Northern Ireland's status stems from the partition of Ireland a century ago. The southern part of the island gained independence from Britain and became a predominantly Roman Catholic state, while six counties in the north remained within the United Kingdom.
Northern Ireland subsequently developed a political divide between nationalists, most of whom are Catholic and support unification with the Republic of Ireland, and unionists, who are predominantly Protestant and favour remaining within the UK.
The divisions intensified in the late 1960s, leading to decades of sectarian violence known as The Troubles. Paramilitary groups and British forces were involved in the fighting, which resulted in about 3,600 deaths through bombings, shootings and other attacks.
The violence was largely brought to an end by the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, which was reached with significant US involvement. The agreement left Northern Ireland's ultimate constitutional status open while giving people the right to identify as Irish, British or both.
Under the agreement, a referendum on unification can be called if there is sufficient evidence that such a proposal would secure majority support. The UK government has said that the required conditions for holding such a vote have not been met.
A change to the constitutional position would also require approval through a referendum in the Republic of Ireland. Although the peace settlement has largely endured, disagreements over identity and the legacy of The Troubles remain.
Trump, while clarifying his position on Sunday, said the comments were "only my opinion" and added that he had received "so much support".
The British government sought to play down the remarks. Prime Minister Andy Burnham's office referred to his earlier statement that he was "100%" behind the Good Friday accord.
Burnham had also stated that the UK would only consider a referendum "when public opinion has changed to the point where the call has to be considered".
In Northern Ireland, Democratic Unionist Party leader Gavin Robinson criticised Trump's comments in a post on X. He said, "Northern Ireland's constitutional future will be decided by the people of Northern Ireland, not by commentary in London, Dublin or Washington. Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom because that is the settled democratic will of its people."
Trump's comments differ from the approach generally taken by previous US presidents, including those with Irish heritage such as Joe Biden, who have largely avoided direct intervention on the question of Irish unification.
