Donald Trump endorses united Ireland during Dublin visit as British government rejects border poll

Dublin meetings and unification statement

US President Donald Trump arrived in Ireland on 12 September 2026 for a two-day visit that combines diplomatic engagements with a private stay at his golf resort in Doonbeg, County Clare. Irish Deputy Prime Minister Simon Harris and Minister for Foreign Affairs Helen McEntee met Trump upon his arrival at the airport. The official schedule in Dublin included bilateral discussions with Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin as well as a meeting with Irish President Catherine Connolly. Speaking to reporters ahead of his meeting with Martin, Trump expressed direct support for the unification of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

I would really love to see a united Ireland. It would be great. I think if it happened, it would be a great source of pride for everyone. It is going to happen eventually.

Bilateral talks and US energy exports

During the media exchange, Trump asked rhetorically how Irish unity could be perceived negatively and suggested that steps toward unification could begin immediately. Trump added that he did not intend to cause difficulties and noted that the British government would retain an essential voice in the matter. Later, during a formal address delivered at the residence of the US ambassador in Dublin, Trump remarked that the question of Irish unity does not offer simple answers. According to reporting from The Irish Times, the American president also planned to use his meetings in Dublin to press Irish officials to purchase liquefied natural gas from the United States.

From my perspective, it will eventually happen. It might as well happen now. We are talking about it and you have got the right man here to move it.

British government response and treaty rules

The office of British Prime Minister Andy Burnham issued a statement rejecting Trump's remarks on constitutional change. Downing Street stated that public backing for Irish reunification remains insufficient to meet the threshold established by the 1998 Good Friday Agreement for holding a border poll. The agreement, which involved extensive American diplomatic participation during negotiations, concluded three decades of sectarian violence known as The Troubles, a conflict that resulted in approximately 2,500 deaths, mostly among civilians. Under the terms of the 1998 accord, the authority to trigger a referendum on Northern Ireland exiting the United Kingdom rests entirely with the British government. Burnham previously stated weeks before the visit that any such referendum remained excluded from consideration.

Unionist reaction and political history

Political figures in Northern Ireland expressed opposition to the American president's comments. Former Democratic Unionist Party Member of Parliament Ian Paisley Jr., an associate of the Trump family, told the BBC that Northern Ireland citizens identify as British and wish to preserve the union. Paisley argued that disrupting the established constitutional framework was unwarranted, comparing the scenario to asking Alaska to return to Russian control or proposing that Canada become the 51st US state. The visit also intersected with domestic Irish political history, as President Connolly, who was elected to the presidency in 2025, had staged a protest against Trump's 2019 presidential stop at Shannon Airport. Trump concluded his Dublin schedule and traveled to County Clare to observe the Irish Open at Doonbeg.

The political, cultural, and economic reality is that Northern Ireland and its people are British and want to remain British.