WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump reignited his longstanding clash with actress and comedian Rosie O’Donnell on Saturday, 12 July, with a post on Truth Social in which he threatened to remove her American citizenship.
Legal experts quickly dismissed the idea as unconstitutional. The comments have drawn strong media attention and a pointed reply from O’Donnell, who now lives in Ireland. This episode marks another chapter in a feud that has lasted nearly twenty years.
On Saturday morning, Trump posted that he was considering revoking O’Donnell’s citizenship, saying, “Because Rosie O’Donnell is not in the best interests of our Great Country, I am giving serious consideration to taking away her Citizenship.
She is a Threat to Humanity, and should remain in the wonderful Country of Ireland, if they want her. GOD BLESS AMERICA!” His remarks appeared to be a response to a recent TikTok from O’Donnell, where she criticised Trump’s administration over budget cuts to environmental and weather agencies. She blamed these changes for the severe Texas floods on 4 July, which led to at least 120 deaths.
Law professors and constitutional experts were quick to clarify that the president cannot revoke the citizenship of someone born in the United States. O’Donnell, born in Commack, New York, is protected by the Fourteenth Amendment, which guarantees birthright citizenship.
The 1967 Supreme Court case Afroyim v. Rusk also confirmed that the government cannot strip citizenship from those born in the country. Amanda Frost, a law professor at the University of Virginia, told the Associated Press, “The president has no authority to take away the citizenship of a native-born U.S. citizen.” Stephen Yale-Loehr of Cornell University added that denaturalisation usually requires evidence of fraud or misrepresentation, which does not apply in O’Donnell’s case.
Media Coverage: Widespread Criticism and Analysis
News outlets responded quickly, criticising Trump’s statement as both legally groundless and politically charged. The New York Times called it a “headline-grabbing provocation” at a time when Trump faces growing criticism over his handling of the Texas floods and internal disputes about the Jeffrey Epstein case.
Rolling Stone linked Trump’s threat to a wider pattern of targeting critics by questioning their citizenship, reminding readers of similar comments about New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani and musician Bruce Springsteen.
Left-leaning sources like Mother Jones warned of the dangers of this kind of rhetoric, saying it risks free speech and could intimidate journalists, political rivals and those who became citizens by naturalisation.
Politico described Trump’s comment as another step in his administration’s hardline approach to citizenship and immigration, despite lacking legal authority. On social media, responses were mixed: some users ridiculed Trump’s remarks, while others mocked O’Donnell and supported the president.
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Rosie O’Donnell’s Firm Reply
Rosie O’Donnell, who has been a critic of Trump since 2006, responded on Instagram, refusing to back down. She wrote, “The president of the USA has always hated the fact that I see him for who he is – a criminal con man, sexual abuser, liar out to harm our nation to serve himself.
This is why I moved to Ireland.” In another post alongside a 1997 photo of Trump with Jeffrey Epstein, she taunted, “You want to revoke my citizenship? Go ahead and try, King Joffrey, with a tangerine spray tan. I’m not yours to silence. I never was.” O’Donnell described herself as everything Trump fears: “a loud woman, a queer woman, a mother who tells the truth, an American who got out of the country before you set it ablaze.”
She moved to Ireland in January 2025 with her 12-year-old nonbinary child, citing Trump’s re-election and the policies outlined in Project 2025 as reasons for leaving. In March, she shared in a TikTok video that she might return to the U.S. “when it is safe for all citizens to have equal rights.” O’Donnell is now seeking Irish citizenship through her grandparents, a step that does not affect her status as an American since the U.S. allows dual citizenship.
A Dispute Dating Back to 2006
The conflict between Trump and Rosie O’Donnell started in 2006, when O’Donnell, then on The View, criticised Trump for letting Miss USA Tara Conner keep her title after reports of drug use. O’Donnell called Trump a “snake-oil salesman” and questioned his moral integrity. Trump replied with harsh personal insults, calling her “fat” and “a woman out of control” in People magazine.
The argument grew over time, including a moment in the 2015 Republican primary debate where Trump deflected criticism about how he speaks about women by saying, “Only Rosie O’Donnell.” O’Donnell has consistently called Trump a “con man” and a “disgrace,” becoming more outspoken during his time in office.
Their feud has become more political in recent years, with O’Donnell strongly opposing Trump’s policies, especially his cuts to environmental agencies and his executive order aimed at changing birthright citizenship rules.
Trump’s recent comment to Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin, where he questioned why Ireland would accept O’Donnell, highlights the personal nature of their dispute.
Trump’s threat to O’Donnell comes as his administration moves to change immigration and citizenship laws. His executive order from January 2025, which seeks to end birthright citizenship for children of non-citizen parents, is currently tied up in court, as many legal experts argue it breaks the Fourteenth Amendment.
Similar threats against other critics, such as Zohran Mamdani and Elon Musk, show a pattern of using citizenship as a political tool, though these actions have no legal basis for those born in the U.S.
As the country deals with the aftermath of the Texas floods and other challenges, critics argue that Trump’s focus on O’Donnell distracts from urgent issues. For O’Donnell and her supporters, the threat highlights the risks involved in speaking out in today’s divided political climate.
“I stand in direct opposition to all he represents,” O’Donnell wrote on Instagram, echoing the views of many who are concerned about the country’s direction.
