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SIMON HARRIS HAS said that Conor McGregor represents “the very worst of toxic masculinity” as anger over the MMA fighter’s appearance at the White House continued today.
Speaking from New York during a trade mission, the Tánaiste and Foreign Affairs Minister said McGregor “represents the polar opposite” of what Ireland stands for.
Harris said he felt that Ireland’s past week of diplomatic efforts in the US had gone well, but added that he believes many people felt “disgust” at McGregor’s appearance alongside Donald Trump in the White House.
“I know there’s a real sense back home though in relation to Conor McGregor being in the White House yesterday of disgust,” Harris said.
“But let me say this as a representative of the government of Ireland and to the people of Ireland: Conor McGregor does not only not speak for Ireland, he doesn’t only not represent our values, he’s actually the opposite of all of the values we’re proud about in Ireland.
“He represents the very worst of toxic masculinity and I think we need to be very clear on that.”
McGregor – who was deemed liable for sexually assaulting Nikita Hand in a High Court case last year – arrived in Washington to hold a meeting with US President Donald Trump for St Patrick’s Day yesterday. McGregor’s appeal against the jury’s finding will come before the Court of Appeal this week.
Harris steered away from criticising US president Trump for hosting McGregor at the White House, saying that it was “entirely up to President Trump who he wishes to invite to what is currently his home”.
“Donald Trump can have whoever he wants to visit him. That’s a matter for him,” the Fine Gael leader told reporters.
“But let me say in the clearest words possible, just because Conor McGregor was in the White House, he wasn’t there in any way, in any way speaking for us.
“I want people in the United States of America to know, and I particularly want women and girls to know that Conor McGregor doesn’t represent the values,” Harris said.
“In fact, he represents the polar opposite of what we stand for.”
The Tánaiste later reiterated his comments during an interview on CNN, where he said that Ireland is “proudly an inclusive, tolerant country”.
“I say particularly to the women and girls of Ireland and right across the world – Conor McGregor does not speak for our country,” Harris said.
Reacting yesterday, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said McGregor’s claims were “wrong” and did not reflect the views of the Irish people.
In response, McGregor has hit out at the Taoiseach and his government had Martin has “failed the people of Ireland”, further claiming that Dublin was “one of the most dangerous” cities in Europe.
Asked about Martin’s criticism, McGregor told Sky News: “I am an employer of over 200 people, almost 300 people in the country of Ireland. He’s an employer of none.
“Every available metric available to us has shown that the Government of Ireland currently has failed the people of Ireland.”
McGregor added: “So, shame on him for saying that, speaking down on an Irishman. I won’t speak about him personally, throw a jab – I could, I could throw many jabs at him, I could throw jabs handily at them.
“However, I speak on the metrics, and the metrics show they failed the people of Ireland. They do not represent the people of Ireland.”
Asked how he would respond to people who said it is inappropriate for him to attend the White House, he walked away after saying: “God bless Ireland and God bless America.”
Speaking this afternoon, Minister Paschal Donohoe said that “as a man”, his heart fell when he saw McGregor in the Oval Office.
“Conor McGregor does not represent this country, he doesn’t represent the men of this country,” Donohoe told reporters.
“Conor McGregor does not represent this country. He doesn’t represent the men of this country”.
— Jane Matthews (@janeematthews) March 18, 2025
Minister Paschal Donohoe this afternoon says that “as a man”, his heart fell when he saw McGregor in the Oval Office.
@thejournal_ie pic.twitter.com/xvjNtcdRDC
Some have questioned why the Taoiseach’s meeting with Trump did not take place on St Patrick’s Day but Conor McGregor’s did.
The annual visit of the Taoiseach to the White House rarely ever takes place on St Patrick’s Day itself, most often falling on the Friday of St Patrick’s week.
In the case of this year, rather than it being a snub as some might assume, the Taoiseach’s visit had to be scheduled for a day that aligned with the diaries of the US President, the US Vice President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives all on the same day.
As the US House of Representatives is on a federal holiday this week, the Taoiseach’s visit had to be scheduled for last week to enable the Speaker’s Lunch to take place as usual after the bilateral with the US President.
With reporting from Christina Finn in New York and Jane Matthews
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