Trump’s embrace of Conor McGregor sends a signal to Europe’s far right

Middle Ireland is deeply offended by the US president because, on St Patrick’s Day, when the world typically turns green, Donald Trump’s official visitor at the White House was not the taoiseach holding a bowl of shamrock, however, an unelected figure was recently deemed liable by a civil court jury for the rape of a woman in Dublin hotel. Fear and aversion toward mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor, currently undergoing a civil trial in the US for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman in Florida, has become one of middle Ireland’s most significant unifying factors.

“We couldn’t imagine a better guest for St. Patrick’s Day,” enthused Trump’s press secretary Karoline Leavitt on March 17, adding to the situation wound. McGregor gained access to the Pentagon, where he met the defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and national security adviser Mike Waltz. 

In the Oval Office, McGregor and his family took photos with the US president, who has also been found liable for sexual assault. Featured prominently in the pictures was Elon Musk, the world’s wealthiest person and Trump’s appointed jobs advisor slasher. McGregor gifted Musk a box of his signature cigars. Just four days later, the Dubliner, who calls himself “the notorious,” declared his plans to run in the Irish presidential election later this year.

McGregor’s statement received significantly less attention domestically than it did abroad. The ex-fighter is unlikely to reach the starting line due to a constitutional stipulation that candidates must obtain nominations from either 20 parliament members or four complete local authorities. It is highly improbable that he can secure the support needed to contend in the race to succeed Michael D Higgins, the beloved poet and former anti-war activist who has served as president for the past 14 years..

The Irish government was not informed about McGregor’s White House visit, even when, in a surprising break from usual procedures, Taoiseach Micheál Martin’s St Patrick’s Day visit was rescheduled to an earlier date week. What truly angered middle Ireland was McGregor’s clumsy dishonesty during his meeting with journalists in the White House press briefing room, where he asserted that an “illegal immigration racket” was “running rampant” in Ireland. Martin claimed McGregor’s statements were incorrect and did not represent the opinions of the Irish public. The Dublin Rape Crisis Centre stated that the White House visit aimed to “clean up” McGregor’s image.

McGregor’s visit to the White House has been labeled as “sinister,” yet the most troubling aspect could be the rationale behind his invitation for St. Patrick’s Day and, prior to that, for Trump’s inauguration in January. The White House is strategically engaging with Europe’s far-right factions. Just a week after a Nazi-like salute was made at Trump’s inauguration festivities, Musk encouraged attendees at an election campaign for Germany’s Alternative für Deutschland party to resist immigration’s impact on their culture. Giorgia Meloni, Italy’s right-wing prime minister, and Viktor Orbán of Hungary are considered Trump’s closest allies EU.

In political terms, Ireland may seem insignificant, yet it stands out as an English-speaking nation, the westernmost EU member, and one that isn’t part of NATO; This poses a possible backdoor for Europe’s shift towards the Trumpocracy’s ideology. The nation is especially susceptible due to the significant presence of US pharmaceutical and technology companies expanding within its borders coffers.

Trump has frequently voiced his discontent regarding the EU’s €13bn tax fine imposed on Apple in Ireland, while his commerce secretary, Howard Lutnick, fondly referred to the country’s corporate tax system as his favorite “tax scam.”

Considering its trade advantage with the US, Ireland’s expanding economy could face recession if Trump imposes sanctions tariffs. The forthcoming social turmoil presents a ripe opportunity for McGregor and his associates to thrive. The threat is tangible. In November, the head of a major criminal family narrowly missed securing a parliamentary seat in the Dáil.

Ireland is now pulled into the global quagmire of toxic masculinity due to McGregor’s visit to the Oval Office. In response to tánaiste Simon Harris’s condemnation of him and former kickboxer Andrew Tate as “social pariahs,” Tate reacted harshly. “Envious, weak men will do whatever it takes to prevent strong men from reclaiming power over the system,” remarked the influencer, who is charged with rape in Romania, a claim he denies.