Irish Presidency's Ceremonial Role Undermines Tweet's Call for 'Private Army' and Judicial Arrests

A recent tweet by online personality Syd Steyerhart, dated September 7, 2025, has sparked discussion by asserting that a hypothetical Irish President, referred to as "Connor," would be "hamstrung at every turn by globalist rules" and would need to "raise a private army... and start arresting judges like Bukele did" to "save our island." This statement significantly misrepresents the constitutional powers of the Irish head of state. The President of Ireland holds a largely ceremonial and representative role, serving as the head of state and supreme commander of the Irish Defence Forces. Unlike an American President, the Irish President does not possess executive authority to unilaterally raise armies, direct military operations, or interfere with the judiciary. Most presidential functions are exercised on the binding advice of the government, with limited discretionary powers primarily related to constitutional oversight, such as referring bills to the Supreme Court for constitutional review. The tweet's reference to "arresting judges like Bukele did" alludes to controversial actions taken by Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele. In May 2021, Bukele's allies in El Salvador's Legislative Assembly controversially removed five Supreme Court judges and the Attorney General, actions widely condemned internationally as undermining judicial independence and democratic checks and balances. Human rights organizations and international bodies expressed serious concerns about the erosion of the rule of law in El Salvador following these events. Steyerhart, identified as an early member of the "effective accelerationism" (e/acc) movement, an online philosophy advocating for rapid technological and societal change, appears to be using the platform to promote extreme and undemocratic proposals. The suggestion of a private army and judicial arrests is illegal and unconstitutional within Ireland's democratic framework, which upholds the separation of powers and the independence of its judiciary. The tweet's speculative nature, set in a future date, further highlights its ideological rather than factual basis.