Donald Trump has the ability to always come up with the right phrase to provoke a heated debate in a foreign country, especially in Anglo-Saxon territories like the United Kingdom or Ireland. On a visit to Dublin this weekend, the US president stated that a united Ireland would be “fantastic” and that it will eventually happen.
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“I would love to see it [Ireland] unified. It will happen at some point, and you have the right man to push it,” Trump said, referring to the Irish Prime Minister, Micheál Martin, with whom he held a meeting. “I think it would be fantastic. It is clear that the United Kingdom has something to say about it, but I think it would be magnificent. How could it be bad?”
The Irish government itself has been forced to downplay the importance of Trump’s words, and a spokesperson for the prime minister made it clear that the official policy regarding Northern Ireland had not changed.
At 10 Downing Street, the office of the British prime minister, Andy Burnham has ruled out the near-term holding of a reunification referendum as contemplated by the Good Friday peace agreements.
The ultimate decision, according to those agreements, lies with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, who has the prerogative to assess the general attitude of citizens regarding such a delicate issue reflected in polls before initiating the consultation.
The republican parties of Ireland, supporters of reunification, such as Sinn Féin, have welcomed the words of the US president and called for preparations to begin for a hypothetical referendum.
The unionist parties, however, have criticized Trump’s words. “The future of Northern Ireland will be decided by its citizens, not by a casual comment in London, Dublin, or Washington,” said the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, Gavin Robinson.
More than 10,000 people took to the streets of Dublin this Saturday to protest Trump’s visit to Ireland.
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