Former President Donald Trump has once again targeted comedian Rosie O’Donnell, this time suggesting on his social media platform, Truth Social, that he is considering stripping her of her U.S. citizenship.
In a post published Saturday, Trump wrote that O’Donnell “is not in the best interests of our Great Country,” and claimed he was seriously thinking about revoking her citizenship. He went on to call her a “Threat to Humanity” and suggested she should remain in Ireland, where she currently resides.
Legal experts quickly pushed back on the post, calling Trump’s statement unconstitutional. Steve Vladeck, a Georgetown Law professor and legal analyst, reiterated that revoking citizenship — particularly in a coercive or punitive context — is legally untenable. “Congress has authorized very few circumstances under which citizenship can be revoked,” Vladeck noted previously. “And even then, the courts have maintained strong constitutional protections and judicial oversight.”
CNN has sought clarification from the White House regarding Trump’s remarks. The renewed attack appears to have been triggered by O’Donnell’s recent criticism of the former president’s response to the devastating floods in Texas. In a TikTok video last week, she blamed his administration for dismantling federal early-warning systems, which she claimed hindered effective disaster response.
O’Donnell, who was born in the U.S., moved to Ireland just before Trump’s 2017 inauguration. In an interview earlier this year, she cited fears over his return to power and concerns for her nonbinary child as reasons for the relocation. “I read Project 2025 and knew that if he returned to office, we needed to leave,” she told CNN. “I’ve never looked back. Ireland welcomed us warmly.”
Responding to Trump’s post on Instagram, O’Donnell fired back, calling him “King Joffrey with a tangerine spray tan,” and said, “I’m not yours to silence. I never was.”
In a follow-up interview with RTÉ Radio 1 in Ireland, O’Donnell did not hold back. “He is a danger to the world — that’s the bottom line,” she said. “I oppose everything he says, does, and represents. He’s sexist, racist, and misogynistic.”
When asked about the threat to revoke her citizenship, O’Donnell acknowledged that such action is legally implausible. However, she expressed concern about the unchecked power she believes Trump has accumulated. “He’s already violating the rights of immigrants without due process,” she said. “This is not the America we should be living in.”
Trump and O’Donnell’s feud dates back nearly two decades. It began in 2006 after O’Donnell, then a host on The View, mocked Trump’s business history and appearance. In return, Trump has consistently insulted her over the years, using terms such as “loser,” “dumb,” and “a pig.”
Despite the longevity of their feud, Trump’s latest comments have reignited debate not only about political discourse but also about the boundaries of presidential power — particularly when used to attack critics.
