Conor McGregor Announces Plans To Run for President in Ireland Following Controversial Meeting With Donald Trump
Conor McGregor, the former UFC champion, declared his intention to run for president of Ireland just days after his controversial meeting with former U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House.
McGregor announced on social media that he aims to strengthen the Irish people's voice in shaping their country's future.
"All citizens of Ireland to have a voice and a choice on their future! This is the future of Ireland with me, as the President of Ireland wrote in an Instagram post. "God bless our people! Vote McGregor and have your voice heard!"
His announcement comes just days after he visited the White House and met with President Donald Trump. Earlier in the day, McGregor held a press briefing in which he criticized the Irish government's handling of immigration, accusing it of "abandoning the voices of the people of Ireland." He claimed that "illegal immigration is wreaking havoc" on the country, particularly in rural areas, and emphasized the need to address these issues for the sake of Irish Americans.
His comments were met with sharp rebukes from Irish leaders, including Prime Minister Micheál Martin, who stated that McGregor's views "do not reflect the spirit of St. Patrick's Day or the opinions of the Irish people."
The meeting also drew criticism from advocacy groups, notably the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, which expressed concern that McGregor's presence at the White House "effectively normalizes sexual violence." This comes in the wake of a civil case in Ireland where McGregor was found liable for sexually assaulting Nikita Hand, a Dublin woman who accused him of raping her in a hotel penthouse in December 2018.
Hand testified in court that McGregor assaulted her after a night of partying, leaving her with severe bruises and post-traumatic stress disorder. She described being choked and threatened during the encounter, which she said took place after McGregor drove her to a hotel where drugs and alcohol were consumed. A paramedic who examined her the following day testified that Hand's injuries were unusually severe.
McGregor was ordered to pay over nearly €250,000 ($271,000).
