Donald Trump · United Kingdom · Axios
Why Trump's united Ireland stance hit such a nerve
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President Trump stood by his support for a united Ireland on Sunday after his remarks during a two-day visit sparked a backlash from unionist and British politicians and praise from Irish nationalists.
Key facts
- On Sunday, Trump told reporters: "It seems to me that you have Northern Ireland and you have Ireland
- Trump broke with a longstanding U.S. presidential convention of not taking sides on whether Northern Ireland should ultimately be British or Irish
- Trump has managed the unusual feat of delighting Irish nationalists while alarming some Northern Irish politicians who have previously expressed support for him
- What they're saying: While Irish nationalist politicians seized on Trump's comments and said "the conversation on Irish unity has shifted," unionists in Northern Ireland and politicians
Summary
Trump broke with a longstanding U.S. presidential convention of not taking sides on whether Northern Ireland should ultimately be British or Irish. The U.S. helped broker the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, built around consent and parity between British unionism and Irish nationalism. Former President Clinton, whose administration played a central role in the peace process, explicitly said the U.S. was "neither in favor of a united Ireland nor opposed to the idea. Trump said in Dublin, sitting beside Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin on Saturday, that he'd "love to see" Ireland unified and that it is "going to happen eventually," so it "may as well happen now.