Conor McGregor’s short-lived presidential campaign spread misinformation, personal attacks, and extremist rhetoric to a global audience, according to a new report from EDMO Ireland.
The study, From Free Speech to Violent Rhetoric: Elon Musk’s X as a Threat to Electoral Integrity, examined 127 posts from McGregor’s X (formerly Twitter) account between January and September 2025. It found that:
- 58% of posts contained false claims about the Irish presidency, constitution, or history.
- 28% included ethnonationalist rhetoric, while others attacked government figures as “traitors” or enemies of the people.
- At least six posts implied political violence, targeting migrants and public officials.
- Platform safeguards failed: 23 posts attracted suggested fact-checks from X’s Community Notes, but none were activated.
The report highlights the role of Elon Musk, owner of X, who endorsed McGregor’s candidacy, engaged with his posts, and amplified misinformation about the Irish election process to his 226 million followers.
McGregor’s presidential content was viewed more than 108 million times worldwide, boosted by appearances on international platforms including Tucker Carlson’s YouTube channel, Fox News, and Euronews.
Although McGregor withdrew before formally seeking support from local authorities, the EDMO Ireland concludes that:
“While Conor McGregor was never likely to secure a presidential nomination, his campaign has wider implications. It highlights how Ireland fits into an international political trend that merges celebrity, online movements, and the vast resources of billionaires to seed and normalise anti-democratic and authoritarian ideas. … It would be a mistake to dismiss these dynamics. The threats directed at Tánaiste Simon Harris, his family, and their home – alongside reports of heightened security concerns among politicians across the spectrum – show the real-world risks. What is at stake is not simply who wins the 2025 presidential election or who appears on the ballot. It is the normalisation of fact-free and extremist ideas.”
Read the report here:
