Conor McGregor has announced his presidential run in Ireland, days after visiting U.S. President Donald Trump within the White House.
McGregor, 36, shared the news on Instagram Thursday, making his pitch to the people of Ireland for the largely ceremonial position in a lengthy caption alongside a photograph of himself wearing a “Make Ireland Great Again” hat.
“Ireland must fully implement the EU Migration Pact by June 12, 2026. So between now and 12 June 2026, several pieces of laws must be passed by each Houses of the Oireachtas & then signed by the President. The subsequent presidential election must happen by 11 Nov 2025,” he wrote in a post to his greater than 46 million followers.
“Who else will arise to Government and oppose this bill? Some other Presidential candidate they try to recommend shall be of no resistance to them. I’ll.
“It’s the people of Irelands [sic] alternative! All the time! That could be a true democracy!… That is the long run of Ireland with me as President. All residents of Ireland to have a voice and a alternative on their future! God bless our people. Vote McGregor and have your voice heard.”
McGregor still has an extended approach to go if he’s serious concerning the profession change into politics. Presidential candidates in Ireland should be nominated by not less than 20 of the 234 members of the lower and upper houses of parliament. Alternatively, they might be nominated by 4 of Ireland’s 31 local councils, in line with Ireland’s electoral commission.
The president of Ireland is elected every seven years and might serve a complete of two terms. The responsibilities of the president include representing the people of Ireland and signing laws into law and/or referring bills to the Supreme Court.
Earlier this week, McGregor criticized the Irish government while he was taking questions from press about his thoughts on Ireland’s current political landscape at the rostrum beside White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.
The previous UFC champion said he was on the White House to “raise the problems the people of Ireland face.”
“It’s going to be music to the people of Ireland’s ears because never on the principal stage has the problems the people of Ireland face been spoke,” McGregor said, adding that he believes Ireland’s government has abandoned the voices of the people of the country.
“It’s high time that America is made aware of what’s happening in Ireland. What’s happening in Ireland is a travesty. Our government is the federal government of zero motion with zero accountability,” he said. “Our money is being spent on overseas issues that has nothing to do with the Irish people.”
“The illegal immigration racket is ravaging on the country,” the MMA fighter continued. “There are rural towns in Ireland which were overrun in a single swoop, which have change into a minority in a single swoop. It just must be addressed.”
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McGregor said the “40 million Irish Americans need to listen to” what he planned to say on the White House during his visit.
“Because if not, there shall be no place to come back home and visit,” he added. “Ireland is on the cusp of doubtless losing its Irishness and I’m here to lift the difficulty and highlight it. It’s also St. Patrick’s Day so a little bit little bit of celebrations needless to say.”
UFC fighter Conor McGregor speaks within the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Monday, March 17, 2025. McGregor said he was meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump later within the day.
Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images
After news of McGregor’s meeting with Trump spread, Irish Prime Minister Michael Martin took to X to share an announcement concerning the UFC fighter’s thoughts on Ireland.
“St. Patrick’s Day all over the world is a day rooted in community, humanity, friendship and fellowship,” Martin wrote. “Conor McGregor’s remarks are mistaken, and don’t reflect the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day, or the views of the people of Ireland.”
Colum Eastwood, leader of Ireland’s Social Democratic and Labour Party, said Ireland is “pretty embarrassed” by McGregor following the visit.
“Conor McGregor has never been elected to anything, he doesn’t represent the Irish people,” Eastwood said on X. “In actual fact, we’re all pretty embarrassed by him.”
Simon Harris, Ireland’s deputy prime minister, spoke about McGregor’s visit to the White House while in Latest York City.
“It’s for President Trump to determine to ask whoever he desires to his home, and he’s perfectly entitled to do whatever he wishes in relation to who he decides to ask to the White House,” he said in a video posted to X.
“But let me be very clear: Conor McGregor isn’t here in america representing Ireland or the people of Ireland. He’s here in a private capability. He doesn’t speak for Ireland. He doesn’t speak for the people of Ireland. He has no mandate to do such and my views on him are very clear.”
McGregor responded by sharing a photograph beside Trump within the Oval Office, writing, “Ad hominem style attacks against me coming in hot by Irelands [sic] government elite.”
“What’s your response / plan of motion to the problems I raised?” he asked. “Ireland desires to know. America desires to see!”
“Chip, chop now fellas, don’t make me keep going. Do what you’re told by the people of Ireland and we can have no issue here. Don’t and it’s over for you,” he wrote, before stating his “orders” for the federal government to implement.
“You’ve gotten Twelve Days to present a transparent plan of motion, on 1. Dismantling Irelands [sic] human trafficking racket. 2. Mass deportation of dangerous, criminal, and radicalised imports, in addition to all who entered illegally, in addition to all who’re a strain on our welfare system who’ve made no effort to secure employment or assimilate with Irish culture and values. 3. Stringent border protection adjustments to stop this from ever happening again.”
McGregor had previously teased a presidential run last September in a post on X, writing, “As President I hold the facility to summon the Dáil in addition to dissolve it.”
“I might have all of the answers the people of Ireland seek from these thieves of the working man, these disrupters of the family unit, these destructors of small businesses, and on and on and on!” he wrote. “These charlatans of their positions of power could be summoned to reply to the people of Ireland and I might have it done by day end. Or I could be left with no alternative but to dissolve the Dáil entirely. Stop the train until. [sic]
“The people of Ireland deserve the answers they seek. Point blank. This might be my power as President. I do know thoroughly. Ireland needs an energetic President employed wholly by the people of Ireland. It’s me. I’m the one logical alternative. 2025 is upcoming…”
A screenshot of Conor McGregor’s post on X in September 2024.
@TheNotoriousMMA / X
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