Polarizing MMA fighter Conor McGregor claimed on Thursday to have the support he needs to run for Ireland’s next president.
“I have it secured. I have councils on board. TDs. Senators,” McGregor wrote on X, seeming to say he has the required number of parliamentary votes to qualify him as a candidate in the upcoming election.
He didn’t immediately present proof to back up his claim.
The 37-year-old declared his intentions to run for office in March, three days after meeting with President Trump at the White House. He announced that decision alongside a photo of him wearing a “Make Ireland Great Again” cap and naming immigration reform as his top priority.
“Ireland’s Call will be answered. I am here for the will of the people,” McGregor said Thursday. “Who aligns in support of the policies I have presented, will be the saviours of our great nation.”
Elon Musk, the similarly polarizing owner of Tesla and X, appeared to approve of McGregor’s announcement. Musk, who has supported right-wing political candidates in the U.S. and abroad, reposted the news on his social media platform.
Irish President Michael D. Higgins is set to leave the office he’s held for 14 years in November. An election for the next president must take place in the 60 days before his term ends on Nov. 11.
Moderate conservative candidate Mairead McGuinness was believed to be the frontrunner to succeed Higgins until she withdrew her candidacy earlier this month due to health issues, according to Irish news service RTÉ. Several other candidates are reportedly considering a run.
Whether or not McGregor will have the support of the Irish people has yet to be seen. He previously enjoyed great popularity on the Emerald Isle during his prime as a champion brawler, but his approval took a dive in November after a jury found him liable for sexually assaulting a woman in 2018.
The Irish Mirror said he lost 400,000 social media followers in the weeks following the verdict.
McGregor last fought on July 10, 2021 when he was stopped in the first round by Dustin Poirier, who also defeated him six months earlier. According to MMAFighting.com, he expressed interest in returning to the ring if Trump’s plan to host a White House MMA event in 2026 comes to fruition.
