Donald Trump has reiterated his support for Irish unification and brushed off Andy Burnham’s opposition to a referendum. Then things happen,” the US president said on Sunday of the British prime minister’s response. Trump caused consternation on both sides of the Irish Sea on Saturday when, at the start of a two-day visit to Ireland, he said he would “love” to see a united Ireland and “it may as well happen now”.
Downing Street said Burnham still believed there was not the required support for unification to trigger a referendum, as set out in the 1998 Good Friday peace agreement. Two weeks ago, Burnham said a referendum was “off the table”. Irish nationalists welcomed Trump’s remarks, while the Conservative party and Northern Irish unionists condemned them.
On Sunday Trump expressed delight at the controversy. I made what I considered to be a fairly routine comment, I have had so much support on that,” he said, speaking from Doonbeg, his county Clare golf resort that is hosting the Irish Open. Asked about independence for Scotland, he reserved opinion.
Angela Rayner, the UK’s communities secretary, played down the president’s remarks. The government was serious about the Good Friday agreement and would “continue on that path”, she said. Trump’s comments were awkward for the Irish government, which prefers to discuss cross-border initiatives rather than unification.
Last month the taoiseach, Micheál Martin, said that he “goes bananas” when his Fianna Fáil party colleagues call for a border poll. On Sunday Martin said there had been “overreaction” to Trump’s comments. Adams accused successive Irish governments of being “incredibly shortsighted” and failing to plan for unification.
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