Elon Musk shocks everyone by declaring “No one will fight harder for the people of Ireland” than Conor McGregor as the fighter launches his bid for President of Ireland
I watched that video, and my heart skipped a beat. Conor McGregor, the fierce, bold spirit we’ve cheered for in the ring, stood outside those grand government buildings in Dublin and looked straight at us all. He spoke about children without homes, about laws that never feel like they belong to the people, about Ireland slipping away from the hands of its own citizens. His voice was raw, real, urgent. “If you want my name on that ballot,” he said, imploring the crowd and the county councillors, “you need to stand with me.” It felt alive, like something was stirring beneath the surface.
Then, hours later, I saw it—Elon Musk, the guy building rockets and tweeting into the void, reposted that very video. And under it, he typed words that made the news cycle spin even faster: “No one will fight harder for the people of Ireland than Conor McGregor!” There it was, a billionaire’s endorsement, not just for a candidate, but for a fighter’s promise. It struck me—this wasn’t about politics the way we expect. It was more like a challenge, a promise, an electric moment that tied two very different worlds together.I found myself thinking about why it hit so deep. Conor isn’t from a policy manual. He’s from the streets of Crumlin, from sweat and struggle. He built a global empire by knocking hard, and he’s asking our voices to be his next arena. And there’s Musk, someone who lives among stars, suddenly speaking to us about Irish councillors, about ballot lines, about a fight outside a political ring. That collision of worlds feels so modern, so strange, so alive.
Of course, reality barges in. To even make the ballot, candidates here need the backing of either 20 national legislators or four local councils—it’s not just grit that gets you in. Conor is still scrambling to get nominations, relying on grassroots moves, petitions, and social media. His odds aren’t looking good; some bookies are giving him 100-1. This campaign is rough, raw, and far from certain.
And it wouldn’t be a story with no controversy. McGregor’s legal battles, including a civil court finding against him in a sexual assault case and a failed appeal, are recent scars and serious roadblocks. There are leaders and citizens already shaking their heads, wondering if this is a stunt rather than a solution. But he pushes on, defiant, saying he won’t sign any bill that doesn’t first go back to the people. He keeps calling on the overlooked, the voiceless, the people he says the government has abandoned.
So here we are, watching a fight unfold that isn’t in the octagon. Conor McGregor wants to be president. Elon Musk wants to back him, saying no one will fight harder. It’s messy, flawed, astonishing, and entirely human. It’s a campaign like none other we’ve seen in Ireland. And for all its noise, for all its uncertainty, it stirs something deep—what if politics was alive and bold again, fueled not by polished speeches but by raw emotion and relentless belief?
