Media365
US President Donald Trump’s remarks backing a united Ireland have drawn a sharp response from Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, who said he disagreed with the US President and insisted that Northern Ireland is an “integral part” of the United Kingdom.Trump, speaking alongside Irish premier Micheál Martin at Farmleigh House in Dublin during his two-day visit to Ireland, said he would “love to see” Ireland unified and suggested that it was likely to happen eventually.“I don’t want to cause any problems. I have friends on both sides, great people,” Trump said when asked about Irish unity. “It’s going to happen eventually. You know what? The way I look at it, it’s going to happen eventually. It may as well happen now.”Farage hits back at TrumpFarage, who has generally been a strong supporter of Trump, publicly disagreed with the US President over the issue.“Northern Ireland is a proud and integral part of the United Kingdom. The people of Northern Ireland neither want a referendum nor unification. I disagree with President Trump,” Farage wrote on X.His comments came as other UK politicians also criticised Trump’s remarks and stressed their support for Northern Ireland remaining part of the UK.Trump’s Ireland remarks spark UK reactionConservative leader Kemi Badenoch called Trump’s comments “deeply unhelpful”, saying that such remarks about the future of democratic countries created “unnecessary tension”.“Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom,” Badenoch said, adding that the Conservative Party would “always defend the union”.Shadow Northern Ireland secretary Alex Burghart also rejected Trump’s position, saying the US President was “very wrong” and that Northern Ireland was an “integral part” of the UK.DUP leader Gavin Robinson said Northern Ireland remained part of the UK because that was the “settled democratic will” of its people.“I am confident NI will continue to choose the UK and the security it offers,” Robinson said.Restore Britain leader Rupert Lowe, another supporter of Trump, also criticised the US President’s comments.“The American President is talking about breaking up our country. This is unacceptable, this is insulting. I like Trump, I’ve backed Trump,” Lowe said.He urged Trump not to allow his opposition to the current Labour government to damage the UK-US relationship.SDLP leader Claire Hanna took a more mocking tone, saying she suspected the DUP was “burning those Trump flags” following his remarks.Trump’s comments came during his visit to Ireland, where he also met Irish President Catherine Connolly.
