President Trump Backs United Ireland

Trump's remarks in Ireland reignited debate over Irish reunification.

Left & Center

4 left5 center2 right

Updated Sep 13, 5:09pm ET

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What happened

President Donald Trump visited Ireland for two days, meeting in Dublin and stopping at the Irish Open at his Doonbeg resort. With Taoiseach Micheál Martin, he said he would “love” to see Northern Ireland and the Republic unified, calling it “fantastic”; Salon reported he added, “It may as well happen now.” He said Britain would have a say. The remarks broke with U.S. neutrality under the Good Friday Agreement framework. Unionists objected, nationalists welcomed them, and Britain said a border poll was off the table.

How each side covered it

From the left

Left-leaning coverage framed the comments as Trump stepping into a charged constitutional issue while favoring unity. The Guardian said he described Irish unity as natural and brushed off Andy Burnham’s opposition. Salon and PBS NewsHour highlighted his caveat that he did not want problems, while saying he would “love” to see unity; PBS also noted he called it “fantastic.” Raw Story tied the visit to a reported UK summit development.

From the right

Right-leaning coverage focused on strain inside the United Kingdom. Townhall reported that leaders in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland were preparing to meet in Cardiff and sign a deal calling for referendums to dissolve their membership in the United Kingdom. The Daily Signal noted Trump said he would “love” to see unity, while Andy Burnham said such a referendum was “off the table.”

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