Conor McGregor Withdraws from Irish Presidential Bid Amidst Lack of Support
Conor McGregor has officially withdrawn his candidacy for the Irish presidency, choosing to step back to avoid a probable technical knockout from Dublin City Council, reports 24brussels.
Initially scheduled to present his appeal for council support in person, the mixed martial arts fighter only garnered backing from a handful of anti-immigration councilors, while a significant majority pledged to deny his request. McGregor, who has seen little support from other councils, did not attend the council meeting and opted to submit his statement from the United States.
In his announcement, McGregor attributed his failure to gain a place on the ballot to “the straitjacket of an outdated Constitution.” Notably absent from his comments was any mention of the 2024 court ruling that found him civilly liable for raping a Dublin woman, nor his recent attempt to overturn this ruling, which involved two witnesses that have since been implicated in an investigation for alleged perjury.
The Irish Constitution mandates that presidential candidates must secure nominations from either four councils or 20 members of Oireachtas, the Irish two-chamber parliament. McGregor, however, failed to receive a single nomination from Ireland’s 234 national lawmakers.
McGregor’s run for the presidency included a much-publicized meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House and received extensive virtual support from X owner Elon Musk. Nonetheless, he could not translate this visibility into substantial backing from the Irish electorate.
