UFC legend Conor McGregor visited the White House Monday for an "important meeting" with President Donald Trump to discuss his beloved Ireland and its future.
Video doing the rounds on social media showed McGregor strutting out of the White House and speaking to the camera, saying, "Happy St. Patrick's Day." Additional photos of his visit showed McGregor fielding questions from members of the press in the White House briefing room and signing a "Make Ireland Great Again" hat.
While addressing reporters, McGregor "issued a warning on which direction he believes Ireland is heading," according to the Irish Star.
"Ireland is at the cusp of potentially losing its Irish-ness," he said, according to the outlet. "I'm here to raise the issues the people of Ireland face. And it'll be music to the people of Ireland's ears. Because never on the main stage has the issues the people of Ireland face been spoke. Our government has long since abandoned the voices of the people of Ireland."
McGregor added that it was "high time that America is made aware of what is going on in Ireland."
"What is going on in Ireland is a travesty. Our government is the government of zero action with zero accountability. Our money is being spent on overseas issues that have nothing to do with the Irish people," he said.
"The illegal immigration racket is running ravage on the country. There are rural towns in Ireland that have been overrun in one swoop. That have become a minority in one swoop."
"So issues need to be addressed. And the 40 million Irish Americans, as I said, need to hear this. Because if not, there will be no place to come home and visit."
McGregor took to social media early Monday morning to announce his arrival in Washington, D.C., for a meeting with Trump. In a tweet posted on X, the former UFC double champion wrote, "I land shortly in Washington for the most important meeting of my country's future. I am beyond ready. The world will hear Ireland's call."
The meeting followed a recent endorsement from the president. Trump publicly named McGregor as his "favorite Irish person in the world" during a meeting with Taoiseach Michael Martin.
"He's got the best tattoos I've ever seen. Conor's great … Ireland's always had a lot of good fighters … because they're tough people," Trump said of the UFC legend during the Oval Office meeting with Martin.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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