Conor McGregor, the former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champion, has been ordered by a civil court to pay nearly €250,000 (£210,000) in damages to a woman who accused him of "brutally raping and battering" her in a Dublin hotel in 2018. McGregor, however, contends that the encounter was consensual and is appealing the court's verdict. The jury in the Irish civil case found McGregor liable for rape four months prior to his meeting with former President Donald Trump.
The meeting, which took place in the Oval Office, included notable figures such as Elon Musk along with McGregor's partner and children. McGregor was also invited to speak in the official White House briefing room alongside the president's press secretary. This visit has sparked considerable controversy and has been described as a "sinister" development by an Irish rape crisis charity.
According to the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, the meeting was seen as an attempt to "launder" McGregor's reputation, which they claim has been "damaged" by the court ruling. The charity's Chief Executive, Rachel Morrogh, commented on the situation:
“there is a path to redemption leading directly to the White House” – Rachel Morrogh, Chief Executive of the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre
McGregor has also garnered support from controversial figures like Andrew Tate, a self-styled misogynist influencer, and anti-immigration campaigners in Ireland. His claim to represent the views of the Irish populace on immigration issues has been widely criticized. McGregor stated that Ireland was "potentially losing its Irishness" due to immigration and claimed that some rural towns had been "overrun in one swoop."
Government statistics indicate that over the past three years, approximately 45,000 people have applied for asylum in Ireland. Despite these figures, McGregor used his platform at the White House to criticize the Irish government over its immigration policies.