Political leaders have insisted Conor McGregor does not speak for Ireland after the fighter visited the White House for a St Patrick’s Day meeting with Donald Trump.
The Irish mixed martial arts fighter was welcomed to the White House yesterday, telling reporters in the West Wing he was going to voice concerns about immigration issues in Ireland. McGregor, who has previously stated an intent to run for the Irish presidency, claimed the Irish government was one of “zero action with zero accountability”.
Press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who confirmed McGregor was to meet the US President yesterday, said the administration could not think of a “better guest to have with us on St Patrick’s Day”. McGregor’s visit to the White House came months after he was found civilly liable in a High Court damages case in Dublin taken by a woman who accused him of rape. Nikita Hand, also known as Nikita Ni Laimhin, won her claim against McGregor after accusing the professional fighter of raping her in a Dublin hotel in December 2018.
Ms Hand, 35, was awarded damages and costs after a three-week trial last year in which the jury found him civilly liable for assault. A judge at the High Court in Dublin later said the jury had “conclusively determined” that McGregor had raped Ms Hand.

McGregor is appealing against the outcome of the civil case. In response to McGregor’s comments yesterday, Taoiseach Micheal Martin said his claims were “wrong”, and did not reflect the views of Irish people.
Tanaiste Simon Harris said McGregor was not in the US to represent Ireland and did not speak for the people of Ireland, and “has no mandate to”. Last week, Trump, during a meeting with Mr Martin, described McGregor as “great” when asked who his favourite Irish person was.
Trump said the MMA fighter had the “best tattoos I’ve ever seen”. During his exchange with reporters yesterday, McGregor criticised the Irish government on immigration.
He said: “I’m here to raise the issues the people of Ireland face. It will be music to the people of Ireland’s ears.
“Never on the main stage has the issues the people of Ireland faced been spoke. Our government has long since abandoned the voices of the people of Ireland and it’s high time that America is made aware of what is going on in Ireland.
“What is going on in Ireland is a travesty. Our government is the government of zero action with zero accountability. Our money is being spent on overseas issues that is nothing to do with the Irish people.
“The illegal immigration racket is running ravage on the country. There are rural towns in Ireland that have been overrun in one swoop, that have become a minority in one swoop, so 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 come home and visit.”
McGregor’s partner Dee Devlin and their kids also met Trump and Elon Musk in the Oval Office. In a picture shared on social media the group also included creator of The Apprentice, Mark Burnett, now UK special envoy.
Mr Martin later posted on X: “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 Harris said: “It’s for President Trump to invite whoever he wants to his home, and he’s perfectly entitled to do whatever he wishes in relation to who he decides to invite to the White House.
“But 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. He doesn’t speak for the people of Ireland. He has no mandate to do such. My views are very clear, well established, previously articulated, long standing and on public record. I’ve spoken to Nikita Hand. I admire her bravery, her courage, and I’d much rather be talking about Nikita Hand than Conor McGregor, quite frankly.”
Mr Harris also said he does not see McGregor becoming the next Irish president. He added: “I think it’s always better for elections to be decided, obviously, by those who live in a country, and by the people of Ireland.
“That’s how our presidential election will be decided. I don’t expect he’s going to be the president of Ireland. We have a long and proud tradition of electing excellent people of integrity and decency at Aras an Uachtarain.”
McGregor earlier described the US as Ireland’s “big bro” during his back and forth in the West Wing. He added: “Ireland and America, we are siblings. We consider America our big sibling.”
McGregor was previously branded a “gobdaw” in the Dail by Labour TD Aodhan O Riordain. Speaking in the aftermath of the Dublin riots, the deputy told the house: “Now we have the pathetic sight of security barriers outside Leinster House, which looks to me like we have surrendered to them.
“All the while there are celebrities such as Conor McGregor, a gobdaw, and people in this Chamber who use the words ‘criminality’ and ‘immigration’ in the same sentence as often as they can to get some cheap political gain for themselves.”
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