President Donald Trump said Saturday he would “love” to see Ireland unified, predicting that the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland will eventually become a single country even as Britain’s new prime minister has ruled out a referendum on the issue for now.
Trump made the remarks on the first day of a two-day visit to Ireland that included meetings with Irish leaders before a trip to his golf course in Doonbeg, County Clare, where he is attending the Irish Open. Appearing alongside Taoiseach Micheál Martin, Trump was asked about one of the most politically sensitive questions in Irish and British politics and said he viewed unification as both desirable and ultimately inevitable.
“I don’t want to cause any problems, but I will tell you, I’d love to see it unified. I have friends on both sides, great people,” Trump said, according to The New York Post.
He continued: “They’re Irish people. How can they be bad, right? I’d love to see it unified. I think it would be a great feather in everybody’s cap if that happened. Now the UK will have something to say about it, obviously, but I think it would be a great thing. I mean, how can it be bad?”
The comments came days after British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said a vote on Northern Ireland leaving the United Kingdom was “off the table.” Under the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, the British government may call a referendum on Northern Ireland’s constitutional status, while unification would require majority support in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Northern Ireland has remained part of the United Kingdom since the partition of Ireland in 1921.
Trump later acknowledged the political difficulty of the issue, saying there was “no good answer” to the question even as he repeated his preference for a unified Ireland. His visit also drew demonstrations in Dublin, where some protesters carried a banner reading “DEFEND IRISH NEUTRALITY.”
BREAKING: Donald Trump has said he would 'love' to see a unified Ireland during a meeting with Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin in Dublin.
Replying to a reporter, the US president said 'it's going to happen eventually' adding 'the UK will have something to say about it'. pic.twitter.com/hJ2ZjdIhB5
— Sky News (@SkyNews) September 12, 2026
Ireland was not the only British territorial question Trump addressed Saturday. Asked about a recent conversation with Burnham and whether the Falkland Islands had come up, Trump recalled Britain’s 1982 war with Argentina and questioned whether London would again be willing to project military force thousands of miles into the South Atlantic.
“I remember as a young boy, pretty young boy anyway, the Falkland Islands,” he said. Then he added: “I don’t know if they’re going to be willing to travel that far. That is very far away. You’re talking about weeks by boat.”
Trump also suggested he could eventually become involved in trying to mediate a dispute over the islands. “I’m sure I’ll be called into that potential disaster.”
The remarks followed earlier comments in which Trump suggested the United States might not come to Britain’s aid if Argentina attempted to seize the Falklands. Argentine President Javier Milei last week called the territory “our future,” adding to renewed tensions over the South Atlantic islands. Trump has also publicly criticized Britain and other NATO allies over what he says has been insufficient support related to the war in Iran.
After official events in Dublin, including an inspection of an Irish Army guard of honor at Áras an Uachtaráin and talks with Martin at Farmleigh House, Trump was scheduled to travel to County Clare later Saturday.
