The Japan Times - Trump turns to golf, family business on Irish visit's second day

The US president caught his Irish hosts and neighbouring ally Britain off-guard Saturday when he waded into highly sensitive political territory by announcing he would "love to see" a united Ireland.

Breaking with Washington's traditional neutrality on the historically-charged topic, Trump argued reunification of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland -- after over a century apart -- was "going to happen eventually".

"It may as well happen now," he ventured as he met Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin in Dublin, prompting pushback from pro-UK loyalists in Northern Ireland and some leading politicians in mainland Britain.

Within hours of his surprise intervention on the issue, Trump had touched down in Doonbeg, on the country's west coast, where his Trump Organization-owned golf course is hosting the Irish Open.

The American leader will attend the tournament Sunday -- the main reason for the trip -- before departing for Washington later that day.

Martin assured him at Saturday's meeting that Doonbeg's 784 residents were "very grateful" for the Trump Organization's investment there after it bought the site in 2014, noting his family were "welcome" there.

The US president is joined in the remote corner of Ireland by his two sons, Eric and Don Jr, who have managed the family business since their 80-year-old father returned to the White House last year.

- 'Commander in Cheat' -

Trump, a former real estate magnate who promotes family enterprises at every opportunity, told Martin that Doonbeg was "one of the greatest courses in the world".

He also lauded Irish golfer Shane Lowry, who has shone at the Open so far, and Rory McIlroy, the Northern Irish defending champion who has previously played golf with the American leader.

Some 40,000 fans are expected at the tournament over the weekend, with six-time major winner and current world number two McIlroy the main draw.

Trump's attendance adds an extra layer of complexity to a security effort that is reportedly costing Ireland 20 million euros ($23 million). He could present the winner the trophy on Sunday.

The course -- set among dunes on the rugged County Clare coastline -- has twice been targeted by pro-Palestinian activists in the past 18 months, and security around the president has been stepped up.

Around 4,000 Irish and US security personnel were expected to be involved in the weekend-long security operation, with armed officers including snipers and anti-drone technology among the measures reportedly deployed.

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" -- has repeatedly boasted about his golfing talent.

In his book, Reilly detailed how Trump became known as a notorious golf cheat, noting some caddies nicknamed him "Pele" -- after the Brazilian football legend -- for kicking balls from the rough into the fairway.

- 'Conflict of interest' -

He plays the game most weekends at one of his family's properties, either near Washington, New York, or in Florida and is even scheduled to host December's G20 summit at his Miami golf resort.

Opposition Democrats in the US have long complained that blurring the lines between his presidency and personal business interests is corrupt, while some have called for an investigation into insider trading and market manipulation claims.

According to legally required financial disclosures, Trump raked in more than $2 billion in income in 2025 -- the year he returned to power -- with a large portion coming from cryptocurrency activities.

That compared with just over $600 million in 2024.

The White House has aggressively pushed back against claims of conflicts of interest and that Trump has been using his presidency to enrich himself.

The US leader has similarly dismissed criticism for accepting a new Air Force One plane gifted by Qatar -- aboard which he arrived in Ireland.

"Since the Civil War, we haven't had a president with a significant financial conflict of interest from a business enterprise," University of Minnesota Law School professor Richard Painter told AFP.

The former White House ethics lawyer warned Trump's conduct could send the message "that the way to curry a favour with the president is to patronise his properties, do business with his companies and so forth".

K.Yoshida--JT