Conor McGregor, the renowned UFC fighter and former multi-division champion, has declared his intention to run for the presidency of Ireland. Announcing his candidacy on social media platforms X and Instagram, McGregor focused his campaign message on his opposition to the European Union’s Migration Pact.
Recent meetings between McGregor, U.S. President Donald J. Trump, and tech billionaire Elon Musk seem to have galvanized McGregor’s political ambition. The 36-year-old contender criticized Ireland’s commitment to the pact, pledging to hold a referendum should he be elected. “It is the people of Ireland’s choice,” McGregor emphasized in his campaign statement.
During his visit to Washington, D.C., on March 17, McGregor expressed discontent with current Irish policies, slamming Ireland’s migration policies and saying the country is being “overrun” by illegal aliens.
However, the role McGregor seeks is largely ceremonial, with limited powers compared to executive presidencies like that in the U.S. The Irish president’s duties include endorsing legislation passed by Parliament—with no obvious veto power—and serving as a symbolic figurehead.
Moreover, the Irish political establishment tightly controls who is allowed to run for the presidency, with McGregor unable to enter the race unless a minimum number of national legislators or local governments agree to nominate him.
McGregor has been a firm opponent of mass migration on social media and has been targetted by the Irish government over allegations of hate speech, with police launching an investigation against him in 2023. McGregor had stated, “Ireland, we are at war,” following a mass stabbing of children in Dublin that year.