President Donald Trump’s decades-long feud with comedian Rosie O’Donnell has reignited. In a Truth Social post this week, Trump said he is “giving serious thought” to revoking her U.S. citizenship.
Trump posted a distorted photo of O’Donnell and wrote, “She is not a Great American and is, in my opinion, incapable of being so.” The post drew swift attention across social media platforms.
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It’s unclear what provoked his post, however, O’Donnell made headlines earlier this week after apologizing for mistakenly linking the Minneapolis church shooter as a Republican and MAGA supporter.
Rosie O’Donnell responds online
O’Donnell, who was born in New York, moved to Ireland with her 12-year-old child after last year’s U.S. election. She has repeatedly cited frustration with the American political climate as her reason for leaving.
In response to Trump’s latest comments, O’Donnell shared an Instagram post writing, “banishing me again? logan roy would be proud. im the distraction – EPSTEIN SURVIVORS are the reckoning and your gold lamé throne is melting.”
She later added another post that read in part, “18 years later and I still live rent-free in that collapsing brain of yours.”
Celebrity support and reactions
Trump previously threatened to revoke O’Donnell’s citizenship in July.
O’Donnell pushed back once again and gained traction among celebrities. Ellen DeGeneres, who also left the U.S. for political reasons, reposted Trump’s Truth Social message and added, “Good for you @rosie.” DeGeneres and her wife, Portia de Rossi, moved to the United Kingdom at the end of 2024 due to political tension.
Even among Trump supporters, reactions have been divided. Some agreed with his criticism of O’Donnell but rejected the idea of revoking citizenship, citing freedom of speech protections.
Legal experts point to constitutional protections
Despite Trump’s repeated threats, legal experts note the president has no authority to strip citizenship. The 14th Amendment guarantees citizenship to anyone born in the United States.
Moreover, the Supreme Court’s 1967 ruling in Afroyim v. Rusk confirmed the U.S. government cannot revoke citizenship without a person’s consent. Justice Hugo Black wrote in the majority opinion that “the people are sovereign” and the government cannot sever that bond.
This precedent still stands, meaning O’Donnell’s status as a citizen is secure regardless of Trump’s rhetoric.
Trump and O’Donnell’s public feud stretches back to 2006, when O’Donnell criticized Trump’s handling of the Miss USA scandal on The View. Trump retaliated with personal attacks, and the two have exchanged public jabs ever since.
