by JACKSON WALKER | The National News Desk
Mon, March 17th 2025 at 11:56 AM
WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 17: Former UFC champion and Irish businessman Conor McGregor briefly speaks with reporters alongside White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt before meeting with President Donald Trump in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House on Saint Patrick’s Day, March 17, 2025 in Washington, DC. McGregor said he is meeting with Trump to talk about how Ireland is losing its identity to immigrants, among other topics. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON (TNND) — Irish martial artist Conor McGregor on Monday slammed Ireland’s government in a St. Patrick’s Day visit to the White House.
McGregor decried many issues also facing Americans, such as illegal immigration and overseas spending. He called on Irish Americans to demand action from Ireland’s leaders and warned of potential future consequences.
What is going on in Ireland is a travesty,” he said. “Our government is the government of zero action with zero accountability.
“Our money is being spent on overseas interests which has nothing to do with the Irish people and the illegal immigration racket is running ravage on the country,” he added. “40 million Irish Americans need to hear this because if not, there will be no place to come home and visit.”
McGregor in 2023 appeared to tease a bid for president of Ireland via social media. He also condemned the country’s leadership after a wave of riots swept Dublin following several stabbings in the city’s Parnell Square.
“There is a real lapse in national security,” McGregor wrote. “We need a brand new task force founded to assess all entrants into Ireland. Our natives and our visitors will all benefit with this peace of mind. We need deportation of those here illegally or that have committed a crime here.”
President Donald Trump last week hosted Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin at the White House. The prime minister expressed interest in having discussions with Trump “to end conflict and to secure peace, whether in the Middle East or in Ukraine.”
“A lasting, durable and fair peace in Ukraine is something we all desire,” the prime minister wrote on X. “We welcome the outcome of talks today between the US and Ukraine. A pathway to peace now exists.”
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