McGregor, Trump set to meet after President admits he's a fan
McGregor, known for his outspoken personality and in-cage success, has long divided opinion. While some praise his achievements in the sport, others believe his controversies outside of it have tarnished his legacy. Despite this, Trump has not shied away from discussing the Irishman's career.
"I do happen to like your fighter," Trump told Martin. "He's got the best tattoo I've ever seen."
Donald Trump says he's a fan of Conor McGregor:
'He's got the best tattoos I've ever seen. Conor's great…
Ireland's always had a lot of good fighters. You know why, because they're tough people.'
pic.twitter.com/LDgUslJiX9
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) March 12, 2025
This comes after a brief rift between McGregor and Trump when the former U.S. president declared Khabib Nurmagomedov as his favorite UFC fighter. However, tensions eased when McGregor was later invited to attend the Starlight Ball alongside other high-profile celebrities.
During the meeting, Trump praised Ireland's history of producing elite fighters.
"Conor's great, right? You have a lot of great Irish fighters, actually. Great fighters. I don't know what that is, but Ireland's always had a lot of good fighters," Trump said.
"[Do] you know why? Because they're tough people. They're smart people, and they're passionate people."
In response to President Trump's comments, McGregor announced he was traveling to Washington to meet the new President.
McGregor, who's been involved in political debate regarding his native Ireland's future, has previously hinted at running for Prime Minister of Ireland.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Recorder
2 hours ago
- Business Recorder
Trump says gold will not face tariffs after customs confusion
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said Monday that gold imports will not face additional tariffs, days after confusion flared on whether recent hikes applied to certain gold bars – threatening to upend global trade of the precious metal. Trump's comments came after US customs authorities made public a letter saying that gold bars at two standard weights – one kilogram and 100 ounces (2.8 kilos) – should be classified as subject to duties. 'Gold will not be Tariffed!' Trump said on his Truth Social platform, without providing further details. The letter, which was made public last week and dated July 31, was first reported on by the Financial Times, sending the price of gold on the US futures market to a record high. In India, Trump's tariffs spark calls to boycott American goods But a White House official told AFP on Friday that the Trump administeration plans to 'issue an executive order in the near future clarifying misinformation about the tariffing of gold bars and other specialty products.' On Friday, gold for December delivery hit a record high on the Comex, the world's biggest futures market. The concern is whether gold products would be exempt from Trump's 'reciprocal' tariffs impacting goods from dozens of economies including Switzerland, which sees a 39-percent levy. One-kilo bars are the most common form traded on Comex and comprise the bulk of Switzerland's bullion exports to the US, the FT said. The US customs ruling letter, typically used to clarify trade policy, came as a shock amid expectations that gold bars would be classified under a different customs code that spared them from Trump's countrywide levies. Gold, seen as a safe haven investment, already reached record highs this year on tariff worries and geopolitical unrest.
Express Tribune
2 hours ago
- Express Tribune
US State Dept lists BLA, Majeed Brigade as terrorist groups
Listen to article The United States has designated the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and its alias, the Majeed Brigade, as Foreign Terrorist Organisations (FTO), the State Department issued a statement on its website on Monday. The statement further said that the Majeed Brigade has also been added as an alias to BLA's previous Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) listing, which makes it a crime in the US to provide support to the groups. BLA was first designated as an SDGT in 2019 following multiple terrorist attacks. Since then, the group has claimed responsibility for further violent incidents, including attacks carried out by the Majeed Brigade, the statement added. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that today's action underlines the Trump administration's commitment to countering terrorism. 'Terrorist designations play a critical role in our fight against this scourge and are an effective way to curtail support for terrorist activities,' Rubio said. In July, Pakistan urged the international community to adopt objective and non-discriminatory policies to address the global menace of terrorism through collective efforts, while calling for the inclusion of terrorist organisations such as the Majeed Brigade, as an alias of BLA, in international terrorist lists. The new step comes as President Donald Trump increases contact with Pakistan, which was kept at arm's length by his predecessor Joe Biden, whose administration resented Islamabad's role in the two-decade war in Afghanistan. In 2024, BLA claimed responsibility for suicide attacks near Karachi airport and the Gwadar Port Authority Complex. In March 2025, the group claimed it hijacked the Jaffar Express train travelling from Quetta to Peshawar, killing 31 civilians and security personnel and taking more than 300 passengers hostage. The Trump administration last month also designated as terrorists a shadowy group blamed for an April attack in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, which New Delhi blamed on Pakistan. An accusation Islamabad categorically denied. We welcome the US decision to designate BLA & its alias Majeed Brigade as terrorist outfits. Credit to the Federal Government & Field Marshal Asim Munir for presenting Pakistan's case to the US administration. These groups have long shed innocent blood under the false cover of… — Sarfraz Bugti (@PakSarfrazbugti) August 11, 2025 Meanwhile, Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti welcomed the US' decision to designate the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and its alias, the Majeed Brigade, as terrorist organisations. He credited the federal government and Field Marshal Asim Munir for effectively presenting Pakistan's case to the Trump administration. 'These groups have long shed innocent blood under the false cover of ethnicity and rights,' the CM said. 'Terrorism is terrorism; no cause justifies killing civilians. The world must unite to end this menace,' he added.
Express Tribune
2 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Trump to take control of DC police, deploy National Guard amid 'lawlessness' claims
US President Donald Trump shows crime statistics at a press conference, as he announces he will place the DC Metropolitan Police Department under federal control. Photo: PHOTO: AFP Listen to article US President Donald Trump said on Monday he was putting Washington's police department under federal control and ordering the National Guard to deploy to the nation's capital to combat what he described as a wave of lawlessness, despite statistics showing violent crime hit a 30-year low in 2024. 'I'm deploying the National Guard to help reestablish law, order and public safety in Washington, D C.,' Trump told reporters at the White House, flanked by administration officials including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Attorney General Pam Bondi. 'Our capital city has been overtaken by violent gangs and bloodthirsty criminals.' Trump's announcement marks his latest effort to target Democratic cities by exercising executive power over traditionally local matters. He has dismissed criticism that he is manufacturing a crisis to justify expanding presidential authority. Hundreds of officers and agents from more than a dozen federal agencies, including the FBI, ICE, DEA, and ATF, have already fanned out across the city in recent days. Read More: Tense Trump-Modi call triggered US-India fallout Washington's Democratic mayor, Muriel Bowser, pushed back on Trump's claims, saying the city is 'not experiencing a crime spike' and noting that violent crime hit its lowest level in more than three decades last year. Violent crime fell 26% in the first seven months of 2025 after dropping 35% in 2024, and overall crime declined 7%, according to the city's police department. However, gun violence remains a concern. In 2023, Washington had the third-highest gun homicide rate among US cities with populations over 500,000, according to advocacy group Everytown for Gun Safety. The deployment of National Guard troops mirrors a tactic Trump used in Los Angeles, where he sent 5,000 troops in June in response to protests over his administration's immigration raids. State and local officials objected to that move as unnecessary and inflammatory. A federal trial began Monday in San Francisco to determine whether the Trump administration violated US law by deploying National Guard troops and US Marines without the approval of Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom. Also Read: COAS credits Trump with 'preventing many wars' The president has broad authority over the 2,700 members of the DC National Guard, unlike in states where governors typically hold that power. Guard troops have been dispatched to Washington many times, including after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol by a mob of Trump supporters. During his first term, Trump also sent the National Guard into Washington in 2020 to quell mostly peaceful demonstrations during nationwide protests over police brutality following the murder of George Floyd. Civil rights leaders denounced the deployment, which Bowser opposed. The US military is generally prohibited under law from directly participating in domestic law enforcement activities.
