Trump says Irish unification would be ‘a fantastic thing’

US President Donald Trump lands in Ireland under tight security on Saturday for two days of diplomacy and golf, on a trip that again blurs the lines between his presidency and personal business interests.

At least 4,000 police and other personnel, including snipers, have been mobilised for the visit, in what has been dubbed one of the biggest security operations ever mounted in Ireland.

Trump spoke briefly to reporters on the tarmac ahead of his flight to Dublin saying “we’re having a lot of meetings with European leaders and others, so it’ll be a very interesting time”.

Thousands of anti-Trump protesters are planning to rally in Dublin, where the US leader will hold separate meetings with Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin and President Catherine Connolly.

Trump is then due to fly to his luxury resort in Doonbeg, on Ireland’s west coast, where some of the world’s top golfers are competing in the Irish Open tournament.

The golf-mad president – whose relaxed relationship with the game’s rules was documented by sports journalist Rick Reilly in the 2019 book Commander in Cheat – may even award the trophy on Sunday.