Conor McGregor Criticizes Illegal Immigration During White House Visit

Conor McGregor, the Irish mixed martial arts star, made headlines on a visit to the White House for St. Patrick's Day celebrations by sitting down with President Donald Trump. At an impromptu press conference with Trump press secretary Karoline Leavitt, McGregor strongly criticized illegal immigration as "ravaging" his homeland Ireland.

Wearing a green business suit to mark the occasion, McGregor made direct assertions about the strain that illegal immigration was placing on rural Ireland. He claimed that "some of the towns had been overrun in one swoop" by migrants and put out a warning that Ireland was "on the cusp of potentially losing its Irishness" due to these issues. The 36-year-old former UFC fighter emphasized that his trip was to draw attention to the matter and to hear Trump's stand on the issue, since the president has been ramping up immigration enforcement in the context of his 2024 campaign.

McGregor's assertion comes at a time when popularity of MMA keeps rising, particularly among male MMA voters who are also UFC fans, whose numbers have been rallied by McGregor throughout his career. His assertion is also a result of his ongoing controversial and brazen public persona that has made him a polarizing character in both the sports scene and politics.

Despite his sporting fame, McGregor has had a number of legal problems. In 2024, he was instructed to pay damages to a woman who had accused him of sexually assaulting her in a Dublin hotel in 2018, which he denies, saying the experience was consensual. McGregor was also sued in January 2025 for sexual assault at an NBA game in Miami.

McGregor has also hinted at a political future, including seeking the presidency of Ireland, and was supported by Tesla CEO Elon Musk. Musk, who is now one of Trump's closest advisors, has spoken in favor of McGregor running for office.