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Irish MMA fighter Conor McGregor slams Ireland's immigration rules at meet with Trump; PM responds
McGregor's comments came as Donald Trump has launched a hardline policy to crack down on illegal immigration.
Popular Irish mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor’s St. Patrick's Day visit to President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday drew a rebuke for Ireland's Prime Minister Micheál Martin after the former UFC champion criticised the country's immigration policies
McGregor chose to wear a green pinstripe suit for the visit to the White House where he met Trump and senior administration officials.
"Ireland is at the cusp of potentially losing its Irishness," news agency AFP quoted McGregor as saying during an appearance in the White House briefing room alongside the president's press secretary, Karoline Leavitt.
"Our government has long since abandoned the voices of the people of Ireland. The illegal immigration racket is running ravage on the country," McGregor said.
McGregor's comments came as Donald Trump has launched a hardline policy to crack down on illegal immigration, which he declared a national emergency when he kicked off the policy the day of his inauguration to a second term in the White House in January.
The comments did not go down well with Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin, who condemned the remarks.
"Conor McGregor's remarks are wrong, and do not reflect the spirit of St. Patrick's Day, or the views of the people of Ireland," Martin, whose coalition government was re-elected last November, said on social media.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt earlier told reporters that the White House "couldn't think of a better guest to have with us on St. Patrick's Day." However, Ireland’s Deputy Prime Minister Simon Harris said McGregor was not in the White House representing Ireland.
Just last week Trump hosted Ireland's PM for a more traditional celebration of the nations' close ties.
Connor McGregor's legal woes and bid for Ireland Presidency
Connor McGregor, who has not competed in the UFC since breaking his leg in a 2021 fight, was found civilly liable by an Irish court last year for assaulting a woman at a party in Dublin in 2018 and ordered to pay her nearly 250,000 euros ($273,000) in damages.
The plaintiff, Nikita Hand, alleged that McGregor sexually assaulted her.
The fighter has suggested in the past that he may attempt to contest October's election for the largely ceremonial role of Irish President.
However, he would face a big hurdle in getting his name on the ballot as a candidate must be nominated either by at least 20 of the 234 members of the lower and upper houses of parliament or four of the county’s 31 local councils.
Very few elected Irish politicians share McGregor's strong anti-immigrant views and many publicly criticized him after the civil case last November.
A country that has long prided itself on being welcoming to migrants, Ireland has struggled to accommodate record numbers of asylum seekers in the last two years, pushing the issue up the political agenda and leading to some protests against refugee accommodation around the country.
