Donald Trump has continued to have strong words about the UK’s policies on energy as he told reporters during his Ireland visit about how he would “love to see” unified Ireland
US President Donald Trump has made several comments regarding the UK on his two-day visit to Ireland, including how he would “love to see” unified Ireland.
The US President also gave a warning to the UK over the Falklands row, saying he would be “able to settle it” if he was called in to help. During a meeting with Taoiseach Micheál Martin and reporters, Trump said that he would “love” to see Ireland unified and that “it may as well happen now” as it is “going to happen eventually”.
Trump said: “Well, I don’t want to cause any problems, but I will tell you I’d love to see it unified. I have friends on both sides, great people. They’re Irish people. How can they be bad, right?
“I’d love to see it unified. I think it would be a great feather in everybody’s cap if that happened. It’s going to happen eventually. You know what? The way I look at it, it’s going to happen eventually. It may as well happen now.
“We’re talking about it and you got the right man over here to get it moving. But, yeah, I think it would be a fantastic thing.
“Now the UK will have something to say about it, obviously. But I think it would be a great thing. I mean, how can it be bad?”
Trump went on to say that conflict between the UK and Argentina over the Falkland Islands would be a “potential disaster”, He continued by telling reporters in Dublin he would be “able to settle it” if he was called in to help.
Trump said he did not know if the UK is “going to be willing to travel that far” to the Falkland Islands should there be a dispute with Argentina over sovereignty, adding he was “sure I’ll be called into that potential disaster” and would be able to “settle it out”.
The US President said: “Well, the Falkland Islands is very interesting because here we go again. I remember as a young boy, a pretty young boy anyway, but the Falkland Islands, and I think it was a different country at that time, the UK a little bit, but they went in and they took it over.
“I’m not sure they’re doing that. They have a little problem with immigration. They have a little problem with energy and then have some other problems they have to take care of. So, I don’t know. You know, I don’t know if they’re going to be willing to travel that far.
“That is very far away. You’re talking about weeks by boat. I don’t know. I’m sure I’ll be called into that potential disaster, but if they do, I’ll probably be able to settle, settle it out. But right now, you have two countries that are not happy concerning the Falklands.”
The US president has arrived amid what has been described as one of the biggest security operations ever implemented by the Irish police service (An Garda Síochána).
Presidents Trump and Connolly observed the national anthems of both their countries at Áras an Uachtaráin in Dublin’s Phoenix Park.
A guard of honour presented arms, with Mr Trump invited to perform an inspection.
Mr Trump will later travel across the country to his golf resort in Doonbeg, Co Clare, which is hosting the Irish Open.