Donald Trump made remarks in Dublin this weekend that immediately drew backlash when he voiced his support for Irish reunification.
There have effectively been two Irelands since the 1921 Partition of Ireland, splitting the island nation into Northern Ireland and the Irish Free State, which later became the Republic of Ireland.
The Republic of Ireland remains an independent state, while Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom, which includes England, Scotland, and Wales. In 1998, the Good Friday Agreement made it clear that the people of Northern Ireland would have to consent to becoming part of a united Ireland through a referendum.
This has been the status quo since then, but Trump ignited a firestorm on Saturday by telling reporters in Dublin that he wants both Irelands to unite, which would either force the Republic of Ireland to surrender its independence by joining the United Kingdom or force Northern Ireland to leave the United Kingdom.
“I think it would be a great feather in everybody’s cap if that happened. You know what? The way I look at it, it’s going to happen eventually. It may as well happen now. I think it would be cool,” Trump said. “I actually said it would, I think, be a very cool thing.”
Only Trump seems to think it’s a “very cool thing” because his remarks instantly drew backlash from Irish leaders.
If this is another scheme Trump is testing in his desperate obsession to win a Nobel Peace Prize, it backfired. All his remarks did was foment chaos and tension between the two Irelands and in the United Kingdom as a whole.
Once again, Trump’s big mouth is embarrassing the United States on the international stage. Meanwhile, the Irish people have made it clear they loathe Trump, too, organizing mass protests before his visit that have made headlines around the world. His remarks about unification won’t make them loathe him less.
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