Irish MMA fighter Conor McGregor has hit out at Irish illegal migration, claiming that “some towns have been completely overrun.” The former UFC superstar, who last year lost a civil rape case, was speaking from the White House press room as he made a St Patricks Day Visit to Donald Trump.
The 36-year-old told reporters he is visiting the White House to “raise the issues the people of Ireland face”. He added: “It is a travesty; our government is the government of zero action with zero accountability. Our money is being spent on overseas issues which have nothing to do with the Irish people.”
He added: “The illegal immigration racket is running ravage on the country. There are rural towns in Ireland that have been overrun in one swoop, so it just needs to be addressed.”
Trump is a well-known fan of martial arts, attending several UFC events during his presidential campaign and being pictured with the company’s CEO Dana White on numerous occasions.
The former champion said he hoped to use his visit to learn from the US President who campaigned heavily on the issue of illegal immigration.
McGregor added: “So we wish for our relationship with the United States to continue, and we wish to be taken care of by the big bro. The United States should look after its little bro. And that’s how we feel.”
In recent years, McGregor has spoken about entering politics, embracing the populist approach taken by people such as Trump by speaking out against “the establishment” and criticising the country’s actions on illegal migration.
Last week in a meeting with Irish prime minister Micheal Martin, Trump named McGregor as his favourite Irishman saying, “he’s got the best tattoos I’ve ever seen”.
McGregor, nicknamed “notorious”, lost a civil rape case last November and was forced to pay more than £200,000 in damages to accuser Nikita Hand.
After the 12-person jury in Dublin made their decision, McGregor said he had made “mistakes” but added that everything that happened that night was “consensual.”
Ms Hand said the two-week-long civil case was a “nightmare” but that “justice has been served”.
He appealed the verdict last month.