Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin had plenty to say about Conor McGregor’s recent trip to The White House.
On St. Patrick’s Day, McGregor addressed members of the press while in Washington D.C. to visit President Donald Trump. While there, the UFC megastar aimed to “raise the issues the people of Ireland face” and claimed that the “illegal immigration racket” was robbing the country of its “Irishness.”
“I’m here to raise the issues the people of Ireland face,” McGregor said. “It’ll be music to the people of Ireland’s ears because never on the main stage has the issues that Ireland face been spoke. Our government has long since abandoned the voices of the people of Ireland, and it’s high time that America is made aware of what is going on in Ireland. What is going on in Ireland is a travesty. Our government is the government of zero action with zero accountability. Our money is being spent on overseas issues that has nothing to do with the Irish people.
“The illegal immigration racket is running ravage on the country. There are rural towns in Ireland that have been overrun in one swoop, that have become a minority in one swoop. The issues need to be addressed, and the 40 million Irish Americans need to hear this. Because if not, there will be no place to come home and visit.”
Conor McGregor’s Comments ‘Do Not reflect the views of the people of Ireland’
McGregor’s comments prompted a strong response from Martin on social media.
“St. Patrick’s Day around the world is a day rooted in community, humanity, friendship, and fellowship,” Martin wrote on X. “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.”
Deputy Prime Minister Simon Harris also snapped back at McGregor, adding that the former two-division champion was not in the U.S. to represent Ireland and did not speak on behalf of the people of Ireland.
“He doesn’t represent our values; he is actually the opposite of all of the values we are proud about in Ireland,” Simon said while visiting New York City. “He represents the very worst of toxic masculinity.”
McGregor’s visit to The White House came just one week after Trump told Micheál Martin during a meeting that the MMA fighter was his favorite Irish person.
