Trump reiterates support for uniting Northern Ireland with the Republic of Ireland
US President Donald Trump reiterated his support for the unification of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland during a visit to Ireland. As The Guardian reports, he dismissed UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s objections to holding a referendum.
Trump said that uniting the two parts of the island seemed to him a natural step. The previous day, at the start of his two-day visit to Ireland, he said he would like to see a united Ireland and suggested that this could happen now.
Statement on whiskey tariffs
On Sunday, Trump concluded his visit at his golf resort in Doonbeg, County Clare, where he presented the Irish Open trophy to golfer Shane Lowry. There, he announced his intention to abolish US tariffs on Irish whiskey.
This concerns a 10% tariff introduced as part of White House measures on imports from the European Union. According to the publication, it put Irish whiskey at a disadvantage compared with Scotch and whiskey from Northern Ireland, which were not subject to the tariffs.
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Reaction in the United Kingdom and Ireland
Downing Street said that Burnham still does not see sufficient support for a unification referendum provided for by the 1998 Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement. Two weeks earlier, he said that a referendum was not on the agenda.
Representatives of Irish nationalists welcomed the US president’s remarks. Former Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams said they reflected sentiments widespread in North America and among the Irish diaspora in support of Irish reunification. At the same time, former Democratic Unionist Party MP Ian Paisley Jr described Trump’s position as mistaken and said that Northern Ireland residents want to remain part of the United Kingdom.
Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin called the reaction to Trump’s statements excessive and urged calm.
