Conor McGregor praises Donald Trump's 'inspiring' work rate during Oval Office meeting
UFC fighter Conor McGregor and US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office on Monday. Picture: White House/X
Former MMA fighter Conor McGregor has met with US President Donald Trump.
Mr McGregor, who was invited to the White House for St Patrick’s Day, met with the US President in the Oval Office this evening, with footage picturing Mr Trump showing Mr McGregor a map of the Gulf of Mexico, which the US administration has renamed the Gulf of America.
Mr McGregor told the US President: “I’ll tell you what your work ethic is inspiring. Your work rate is inspiring”.
“Yours is too,” Mr Trump responded.
Earlier, White House press secretary Karoline Levitt told reporters the Trump administration “couldn’t think of a better guest to have with us on St Patrick’s Day”, just days after Taoiseach Micheál Martin visited Mr Trump.
Mr McGregor spoke to reporters in the White House’s briefing room, accusing the Government of abandoning the “voices of the people of Ireland”.
“It’s high time that America is made aware of what’s going on in Ireland. What’s going on in Ireland is a travesty,” Mr McGregor said.
“Our Government is the government of zero action with zero accountability.” The former MMA fighter said “the illegal immigration racket is running ravage on the country”, while adding rural towns have been “overrun”.
“Issues need to be addressed and the 40 million Irish Americans, as I said, need to hear this because if not, there will be no place to go home and visit,” he added.
Speaking in New York, the Tánaiste said while Mr Trump was entitled to invite whoever he wishes to the White House, Mr McGregor was there in a personal capacity.
“Let me be very clear, Conor McGregor is not here in the United States representing Ireland or the people of Ireland. He’s here in a personal capacity. He doesn’t speak for Ireland,” Simon Harris said.
Asked if he was concerned about Mr Trump possibly endorsing Mr McGregor to run for the Irish presidency, Mr Harris said it was “always better” for elections to be decided by its citizens.
“We have a long and proud tradition of electing excellent people of integrity and decency to Áras an Uachtarain.”
In a post on X, Taoiseach Micheál Martin confronted Mr McGregor on his comments in the White House.
“St Patrick’s Day around the world is a day rooted in community, humanity, friendship and fellowship. 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,” Mr Martin said.
In his meeting with Mr Martin last week, Mr Trump said Mr McGregor was “great” after being asked by a reporter who his favourite Irish person was.
“Conor’s great, right? But you have a lot of great Irish fighters actually, great fighters,” Mr Trump said.
“Ireland’s always had a lot of good fighters. You know why, because they’re tough people, they’re smart people and they’re passionate people.”
He added Mr McGregor has “got the best tattoos I’ve ever seen”.
Last November, Mr McGregor lost a civil case against Nikita Hand, after a High Court jury upheld her claim that he had raped her in the Beacon Hotel in Sandyford in December 2018.
Ms Hand was awarded €248,603 in damages after the case.
Mr McGregor has since launched an appeal against the High Court judgment, having previously told the jury he had consensual sex with Ms Hand at the hotel.
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