Trump says reunification of Ireland would be 'fantastic' while visiting on golf trip

US President Donald Trump has said a unified Ireland would be "fantastic" as he waded into a complex and politically charged subject during a weekend visit to a tournament at his Irish golf course.

Meeting Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin in Dublin, the US president said he would love to see the reunification of the Republic of Ireland with the United Kingdom's Northern Ireland.

"I don't want to cause any problems, but I'd love to see it unified," Mr Trump told a reporter who sought his opinion on the issue.

"It's going to happen eventually. It may as well happen now.

"I think it would be a fantastic thing," he said, adding that the "the UK will have something to say about it, obviously".

Later on, at the next stop on his tour, Mr Trump said there was "no good answer" to the reunification question as he addressed business leaders gathered at the US ambassador's residence.

The visit by the leader angered some residents of Dublin who staged protests.

Police cordoned off Phoenix Park where Mr Trump visited the respective homes of Ireland's prime minister, president and ambassadors.

Many in the crowd waved Irish or Palestinian flags and chanted, "Donald Trump not welcome here" and "Irish government, shame on you".

Speaking to Irish national broadcaster RTE on Friday in Doonbeg, Mr Trump's son Eric defended the visit and said the golf course was the largest employer in the area.

"Go down to Morrissey's tavern in Doonbeg and hear from a real Irish person as to whether or not they like President Trump and the Trump family, go have them attest to what we've done for the country and what we've invested in the country and the love and respect that our family has always shown them," he said.

Mr Trump's visit is the latest example of blending his official duties and personal interests.

Irish unity debate

Competing visions of Northern Ireland, whether Irish or British, drove decades of violence in the six-county region that has a Protestant majority and has remained part of the UK.

Previous American presidents, including Democrat Joe Biden have avoided commenting directly on the subject.

Ireland became a self-governing Catholic-majority country a century ago. 

Northern Ireland was split between two main communities: nationalists, most of them Catholic, who desired union with the rest of Ireland, and largely Protestant unionists, who wanted to stay British. 

Tensions eventually exploded during The Troubles involving paramilitary groups on both sides and British troops.

A 1998 peace accord that the United States was instrumental in negotiating largely ended the violence, but left Northern Ireland's ultimate status unresolved. 

That agreement allows for a vote on unification if it appears likely a majority of people would vote for it.

Strong reaction

UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham said this week that the UK would only consider allowing a referendum "when public opinion has changed to the point where the call has to be considered". 

Mr Burnham's office referred back to that comment when asked about Mr Trump's statement.

The comments drew criticism from Northern Irish politicians such as leader of the Democratic Unionist Party Gavin Robinson. 

"President Trump knows better than most that elections matter. Northern Ireland's constitutional future will be decided by the people of Northern Ireland, not by commentary in London, Dublin or Washington," he wrote on X. 

"Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom because that is the settled democratic will of its people. I am confident NI will continue to choose the UK and the security it offers.

"As unionists we are not interested in the destruction of our country by joining with the Irish Republic."

Ulster Unionist Party Leader Jon Burrow said on X that "Northern Ireland is not a pawn in Trump's fallout with the UK". 

"Our constitutional future does not depend on him or any other foreign dignitary."

Divisive comments on the Falklands

Mr Trump's comments, along with recent statements about the Falkland Islands, a small British overseas territory in the South Atlantic Ocean that Argentina calls Las Malvinas, could also be viewed as a dig at Britain, given his anger over London's refusal to be drawn into the US-Israeli war against Iran.

The president has once more raised the prospect of conflict between the UK and Argentina over the Falklands.

Argentina's President Javier Milei, a Trump ally, has recently restated his country's claim to the territory of about 3,500 people, which is about 480 kilometres east of the south-east coast of Argentina.

"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," he said.