Donald Trump sparks controversy, predicts UK-run Ireland ‘eventually’: ‘I’d love to see it united, that would be fantastic’ | Today’s news
US President Donald Trump on Saturday commented on the possibility of a United Kingdom run by Ireland. He is currently on a weekend visit to a tournament at his Irish golf course. During a meeting with Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin in Dublin, Trump said a united Ireland would be “fantastic”.
Donald Trump on a united Ireland
He also said that the Republic of Ireland would eventually merge with Northern Ireland of the United Kingdom.
“I don’t want to cause any problems, but I’d like to see it united,” Trump told a reporter, quoted by the AP. He was asked for his opinion on the issue. “It will happen eventually. It can happen now.”
“I think that would be a fantastic thing,” the Republican president said, adding that “the UK will obviously have something to say about that.”
During his next stop, however, Trump reversed his previously candid stance. He admitted there was “no good answer” to the question of reunification, addressing the leaders of both countries at a meeting held at the US ambassador’s residence.
Why is it controversial?
Trump’s announcement is likely to elicit mixed reactions from the Irish people.
Earlier, a section of people or protesters were seen against Trump’s visit to the country. People carried placards, suggestive balloons and Irish flags to protest the US president’s visit to Dublin.
History of Ireland
The subject of Irish unification remains a deeply sensitive issue among the Irish people. This is because Northern Ireland is divided between two communities with opposing views on its constitutional future. Nationalists, who are predominantly Catholic, generally support joining the Republic of Ireland. However, Unionists, who are predominantly Protestant, want Northern Ireland to remain part of the United Kingdom.
This problem runs deep in Irish history. It stems from the partition of Ireland and the decade of sectarian and political violence known as the Troubles. The Good Friday Agreement of 1998 largely ended the conflict and established a framework for deciding Northern Ireland’s future by democratic consent. Under the agreement, a referendum on Irish unification can be held if it seems likely that a majority would vote to leave the UK and join the Republic of Ireland.
However, any move towards a referendum remains politically contentious. It is expected to reopen divisions between nationalist and unionist communities, experts predict.
The UK government, meanwhile, says a referendum should only be considered if there is clear evidence that a majority in Northern Ireland wants unification.
