Conor McGregor's White House immigration comments draw rebuke from Irish PM

By Trevor Hunnicutt and Padraic Halpin

WASHINGTON/DUBLIN (Reuters) - Irish mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor used a St. Patrick's Day visit to President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday to criticize Ireland's immigration policies, drawing a rebuke from the country's prime minister.

McGregor, wearing a green pinstripe suit, visited with Trump and senior administration officials. Just last week Trump hosted Ireland's prime minister for a more traditional celebration of the nations' close ties.

"Our government has long since abandoned the voices of the people of Ireland," McGregor said in the White House press briefing room. "The illegal immigration racket is running ravage on the country."

Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin condemned the comments, and Deputy Prime Minister Simon Harris said McGregor was not in the White House representing Ireland.

"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," Martin, whose coalition government was re-elected last November, said on social media.

A country that has long prided itself on being welcoming to migrants, Ireland has struggled to accommodate record numbers of asylum seekers in the last two years, pushing the issue up the political agenda and leading to some protests against refugee accommodation around the country.

McGregor's comments came as Trump has launched a hardline policy to crack down on illegal immigration, which he declared a national emergency when he kicked off the policy the day of his inauguration to a second term in the White House in January.

Trump spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt earlier told reporters that the White House "couldn't think of a better guest to have with us on St. Patrick's Day."

The White House did not respond to a request for comment on whether they agreed with McGregor's remarks.

McGregor, who has not competed in the UFC since breaking his leg in a 2021 fight, was found civilly liable by an Irish court last year for assaulting a woman at a party in Dublin in 2018 and ordered to pay her nearly 250,000 euros ($273,000) in damages.

The plaintiff, Nikita Hand, alleged that McGregor sexually assaulted her. McGregor is appealing the jury's finding.

The fighter has suggested in the past that he may attempt to contest October's election for the largely ceremonial role of Irish president.

He would face a big hurdle in getting his name on the ballot, however, as a candidate must be nominated either by at least 20 of the 234 members of the lower and upper houses of parliament or four of the county’s 31 local councils.

Very few elected Irish politicians share McGregor's strong anti-immigrant views and many publicly criticized him after the civil case last November.

Trump allies have long promoted right-wing and anti-immigrant political movements in Europe. The U.S. president has also celebrated the UFC and his relationship with its long-time boss Dana White.

($1 = 0.9158 euros)

(Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt and Padraic Halpin; Editing by Leslie Adler)