President Donald Trump revived his long-running feud with comedian Rosie O’Donnell over the weekend, posting on Truth Social that he is “seriously considering” revoking her U.S. citizenship — a threat legal experts immediately blasted as unconstitutional.
“Because of the fact that Rosie O’Donnell is not in the best interests of our Great Country, I am giving serious consideration to taking away her Citizenship,” Trump wrote Saturday. “She is a Threat to Humanity, and should remain in the wonderful Country of Ireland, if they want her. GOD BLESS AMERICA!”
The statement triggered swift legal condemnation. CNN legal analyst and Georgetown Law professor Steve Vladeck called the threat “patently unconstitutional,” noting that under U.S. law, stripping a citizen of their nationality — especially as a form of punishment — is nearly impossible.
“There are only extremely limited circumstances in which the government can revoke citizenship,” Vladeck said. “And the Supreme Court has made clear that even those require due process and judicial review.”
It’s unclear what prompted Trump’s latest attack, though O’Donnell recently posted a scathing TikTok criticizing his administration’s handling of the Texas floods. In the video, she accused Trump of gutting early warning systems and undercutting federal disaster preparedness.
O’Donnell, who relocated to Ireland with her nonbinary child shortly before Trump’s 2025 inauguration, has been a vocal critic of the administration. In an April interview, she said Project 2025 — a blueprint for Trump’s second term — was a “red flag” that convinced her to leave the U.S.
“I have no regrets,” she told CNN. “Not one day have I questioned the decision. Ireland welcomed us with open arms.”
In response to Trump’s Truth Social post, O’Donnell fired back on Instagram:
“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.”
She expanded further during a Sunday interview with Ireland’s RTÉ Radio 1, calling Trump “a danger to the world” and slamming his immigration policies.
“I’m proud to oppose every single thing he says and does. He’s a racist, a misogynist, and a sexist,” she said. “This is not democracy.”
O’Donnell added that while she knows Trump legally cannot revoke her citizenship, she fears the broader erosion of rights under his administration.
“The Supreme Court has given him near-unchecked power,” she warned. “He’s already denying due process to immigrants. Who knows what’s next?”
The Trump-O’Donnell rivalry dates back nearly two decades. In 2006, O’Donnell — then co-host of The View — mocked Trump’s financial history and labeled him a “snake-oil salesman.” Trump responded with years of personal attacks, calling her “a pig,” “a real loser,” and “crude, rude, and obnoxious.”
Despite the long history of insults, legal scholars say this latest escalation crosses a dangerous line.
“Threatening to revoke someone’s citizenship over political disagreement is not only unconstitutional,” Vladeck said, “it’s authoritarian.”
