Trump scraps Irish whiskey tariffs and backs Irish unity

President Donald Trump has ended his two-day visit to Ireland after a trip that was dominated by his surprise comments on Irish unity and a final announcement that he would remove US tariffs on Irish whiskey.

Speaking at the Irish Open golf tournament at his Doonbeg resort in County Clare, Trump said he was scrapping the tariffs, which had been imposed on European Union goods. "On behalf of the United States of America, I am going to take the tariffs off," he said. The move was welcomed by the Taoiseach, Micheál Martin, who was present, and by the winner of the tournament, Shane Lowry.

The tariff announcement came at the end of a visit that began in Dublin, where Trump met the Irish President, Catherine Connolly, and then the Taoiseach. It was during his meeting with Martin that he made his first comments on Irish unification, saying he would love to see a unified Ireland and that it would "happen eventually". He repeated the sentiment later at the US ambassador's residence, calling it "a very cool thing".

The remarks were immediately criticised by unionist politicians in Northern Ireland and by leaders in London. The UK government insisted that any constitutional change must follow the Good Friday Agreement, which requires a referendum if there is evidence of majority support. Kemi Badenoch, leader of the Conservative and Unionist Party, called the comments "deeply unhelpful" and said the party would always defend the Union.

Protests were held in Dublin and in the west of Ireland, with many demonstrators focusing on Trump's policies in the Middle East, including the war in Iran and the situation in Gaza. Despite the controversy, Trump appeared unapologetic and continued to talk up the idea of Irish unity over the weekend, even as he watched the final rounds of the golf tournament.

The tariff removal on Irish whiskey is seen as a concession to Ireland, which had been affected by the broader US tariffs on EU products. It follows a similar move earlier in the year for Scotch whisky and Northern Ireland-produced spirits. The announcement was welcomed by Irish distillers and by politicians, though details of the implementation were not immediately clear.

Trump flew back to Washington after presenting the trophy to Shane Lowry, leaving behind a host of political fallout and a renewed debate about the future of the island of Ireland.