Former mixed martial arts champion Conor McGregor, known by some as the “Irish Trump,” appears to already be facing stiff opposition from established parties in his native Ireland to his bid to become the country’s next president. 

For someone to get their name on the ballot to be president, they must be an Irish citizen and at least 35 years old. They also need the support of at least 20 members of the Irish parliament, the Oieachtas, or at least four of the country’s local authorities. 

Thus far, the former fighter’s ambitions are not being welcomed by politicians opposed to his populist views — particularly on immigration to the Emerald Isle.

SkyNews asked 234 members of Ireland’s parliament if they would be willing to support Mr. McGregor to help him get on the ballot. All of the 134 politicians who responded to SkyNews answered with bad news for the presidential aspirant. 

One unnamed member of the lower house, the Dail, cited Mr. McGregor’s controversial comments about women and called him a “misogynist and a thug.”

“On behalf of the women of Ireland, he can f*** off,” the member said.

In November, Mr. McGregor was found liable for sexual assault. He was accused of sexually assaulting a woman in 2018, an accusation he denies. He is appealing that ruling. In January, he was accused of sexual battery in another civil suit, which his lawyers also denied. His attorneys also said law enforcement officials denied bringing criminal charges against their client in the case and said the allegation is a “new false story.”

Other Irish politicians questioned Mr. McGregor’s qualifications to be president. A member of the center-right Fianna Fail party, Malcolm Byrne, told SkyNews, “There is no evidence Mr. McGregor has the necessary skillset for the role.”

Another member of the lower house, Cathal Crowe, told the outlet, “There isn’t a snowball’s chance… he made a show of himself in Washington D.C. last week and with no elected mandate he certainly does not ‘speak for Irish people’ when he travels overseas.”

“McGregor has become the cheerleader for misogyny in Ireland… a populist buffoon,” one senator told SkyNews.

None of the politicians who responded to SkyNews’ survey even left the door open to potentially supporting his presidential bid by choosing the “maybe” option; instead, they all said no. 

Mr. McGregor has also espoused populist views that have drawn criticism from Irish politicians. During a visit to the White House this month, Mr. McGregor criticised the Irish government and said an “illegal immigration racket is running ravage [sic] on the country.”

That comment drew condemnation from the Taoiseach, Micheal Martin, who said Mr. McGregor “does not speak for the Irish people in any shape or form.”

In an Instagram post announcing his presidential bid, Mr. McGregor focused on immigration, saying Ireland is “at the cusp of potentially losing its Irishness” and criticizing a government he says has “abandoned the voices” of Irish citizens in rural towns. 

He also vowed to “oppose” Ireland’s compliance with the European Union’s pact that distributes the burden of processing asylum claims across member nations. While Ireland has the ability to opt out of the pact, it is unclear if he could reverse the country’s agreement with the policy, as Ireland’s president is mostly a ceremonial position.

Mr. McGregor also promised he would “put forth” referendums for voters to make their voices heard on changes to Ireland’s asylum policies. However, the president does not have the unilateral authority to call a referendum and would need support from the parliament to do so.

 The Ireland correspondent for SkyNews, Stephen Murphy, noted that while Mr. McGregor has received support from outside of Ireland and has been dubbed the “Irish Trump,” some politicians are doubting he is serious about running for president. Some political observers believe his presidential bid is an attempt to boost his reputation abroad.