The long-running feud between former President Donald Trump and comedian Rosie O’Donnell has escalated once again—this time over Trump’s public threat to revoke her U.S. citizenship.
Over the weekend, Trump posted a statement on Truth Social targeting O’Donnell, who has been a consistent critic of his administration. In the post, he claimed she was “not in the best interests of our Great Country” and said he was “giving serious consideration to taking away her Citizenship.” He added that she should “remain in the wonderful Country of Ireland, if they want her.”
O’Donnell relocated to Ireland with her son after Trump won a second term, but has continued to speak out publicly against the former president.
Legal Experts Weigh In
Despite the strong rhetoric, legal scholars have pointed out that Trump has no legal power to revoke O’Donnell’s citizenship. Amanda Frost, a law professor at the University of Virginia, cited the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1967 ruling that protects native-born citizens under the Fourteenth Amendment.
“The president has no authority to take away the citizenship of a native-born U.S. citizen,” Frost explained. “This country is based on the idea that the people choose their leaders, not the other way around.”
O’Donnell’s Scathing Reply
O’Donnell wasted no time in responding. On Instagram, she posted a photo of Trump standing next to Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier whose death in jail sparked conspiracy theories and investigations. In her caption, she wrote:
“You are everything that is wrong with America, and I’m everything you hate about what’s still right with it. I’m not yours to silence. I never was.”
The image and statement quickly went viral, reigniting debates about both Trump’s political rhetoric and the unresolved questions surrounding Epstein’s past connections.
White House Response
A White House spokesperson, Abigail Jackson, dismissed O’Donnell’s reaction, calling it “a symptom of late-stage TDS,” referring to so-called “Trump Derangement Syndrome.”
“She’s way too far gone,” Jackson added. “Thank goodness she’s no longer in the United States.”
Trump has previously denied any wrongdoing related to Epstein and has maintained he was “never a fan.” Despite promising during his campaign to release classified Epstein documents, Trump has recently expressed frustration with ongoing media scrutiny over the issue.
The FBI and Department of Justice both concluded that Epstein’s death was a suicide and that no “client list” existed to expose powerful individuals.
Still, the controversy continues to dog Trump’s campaign, even among some of his supporters who remain skeptical about the Epstein investigation’s findings.