Irish MMA fighter Conor McGregor took advantage of a St. Patrick's Day visit to President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday to criticize Ireland's immigration policies, sparking a sharp rebuke from the country's prime minister.
Dressed in a green pinstripe suit, McGregor met with Trump and senior administration officials. Just a week earlier, Trump had hosted Ireland's prime minister for a more traditional celebration of the two nations' close ties.
"The Irish government has long ignored the voices of the people," McGregor said in the White House press briefing room. "The illegal immigration racket is wreaking havoc on our country."
Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin condemned McGregor's remarks, while Deputy Prime Minister Simon Harris emphasized that the fighter was not representing Ireland during his visit.
"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," Martin, whose coalition government was reelected last November, said on social media.
A country that has long prided itself on being welcoming to migrants, Ireland has struggled to accommodate record numbers of asylum seekers in the past two years, pushing the issue up the political agenda and leading to protests against refugee accommodation around the country.
McGregor's comments came as Trump launched a hard-line policy to crack down on illegal immigration, which he declared a national emergency when he implemented the policy on the day of his inauguration for a second term in January.
Trump spokesperson Karoline Leavitt earlier told reporters that the White House "couldn't think of a better guest to have with us on St. Patrick's Day."
The White House did not respond to a request for comment on whether it agreed with McGregor's remarks.
McGregor, who has not competed in the UFC since breaking his leg in a 2021 fight, was found civilly liable by an Irish court last year for assaulting a woman at a party in Dublin in 2018. He was ordered to pay her nearly 250,000 euros ($273,000) in damages.
The plaintiff, Nikita Hand, alleged that McGregor sexually assaulted her. McGregor is appealing the jury's finding.
The fighter has suggested in the past that he may attempt to contest October's election for the largely ceremonial role of Irish president.
He would face a big hurdle in getting his name on the ballot, however, as a candidate must be nominated either by at least 20 of the 234 members of the lower and upper houses of Parliament or four of the country's 31 local councils.
Very few elected Irish politicians share McGregor's strong anti-immigrant views, and many publicly criticized him after the civil case last November.
Trump allies have long promoted right-wing and anti-immigrant political movements in Europe. The U.S. president has also celebrated the UFC and his relationship with its longtime boss, Dana White.
