UFC world champion Conor McGregor announced his bid to become president of Ireland while giving a nod to U.S. President Donald Trump.
McGregor announced his campaign on Thursday while sporting a “Make Ireland Great Again” hat, an obvious nod to Trump’s MAGA agenda.
“This is the future of Ireland with me as President. All citizens of Ireland have a voice and a choice on their future!” McGregor wrote in an Instagram post. The fighter, who is aiming to curb mass migration, also questioned the validity of the European Union’s Pact on Migration and Asylum, a set of reforms that would establish a common asylum system and prioritize faster asylum for migrants. Ireland must fully implement and enforce it in 2026.
“Although I oppose greatly this pact, it is neither mine nor the government’s choice to make. It is the people of Ireland’s choice! Always! That is a true democracy!” he wrote.
McGregor appeared at the White House on St. Patrick’s Day, vowing to “raise the issues the people of Ireland face” and accusing Ireland’s government of “abandoning” the people. He also lamented that Ireland’s “money is being spent on overseas issues that is nothing to do with the Irish people.”
The UFC star previously hinted at a presidential run in Sept. 2024, writing on social media, “Ireland needs an active President employed wholly by the people of Ireland. It is me.”
Elon Musk praised McGregor in 2023 when he teased a presidential run, and on St. Patrick’s day, President Donald Trump referred to McGregor as his “favorite Irishman.”
Since 2018, Ireland has been under the leadership of President Micheal D. Higgins, a representative of the nation’s Labour Party. Ireland’s current prime minister, Micheal Martin, is the first conservative to hold the position since 2017. The two prime ministers before Martin include Leo Varadkar, the country’s first Indian and openly gay prime minister, and Simon Harris, who served as higher education minister under Varakar.
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