Rosie O’Donnell has issued a fiery response after President Donald Trump threatened to revoke her U.S. citizenship—escalating their long-running feud into international headlines.
In an Instagram post on Saturday, just hours after Trump’s comments, the comedian shared a photo of the president with convicted s*x offender Jeffrey Epstein—whom Trump once described as a “lot of fun.” The post appeared to be a pointed jab, as Trump faces increasing pressure from his own base to release the full Epstein files—something he previously promised to do.
O’Donnell, currently living in Ireland and applying for citizenship through her Irish ancestry, captioned the image with a scathing message:
“I’m everything you fear. 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. You are everything that is wrong with America—and I’m everything you hate about what’s still right with it.”
She closed with a cutting reference to Trump’s appearance and temperament:
“You want to revoke my citizenship? Go ahead and try, King Joffrey with a tangerine spray tan.”
Speaking the next day on Sunday with Miriam on Ireland’s RTÉ Radio 1, O’Donnell elaborated:
“I jotted off a little post in five minutes, and it’s taken off. I’m proud to oppose everything he says, does, and stands for.”
Trump’s Threat
The clash began when Trump posted on Truth Social that he was giving “serious consideration” to revoking O’Donnell’s citizenship, calling her a “threat to humanity” and suggesting Ireland “keep her.”
His remarks come as his administration attempts to challenge birthright citizenship—efforts that a federal judge temporarily blocked last week. Legal experts note that the Supreme Court has ruled it unconstitutional for the government to strip citizenship from native-born Americans under the 14th Amendment.
Trump has recently taken aim at others as well, including former ally Elon Musk—questioning whether the South African-born billionaire should be deported—and New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, a naturalized citizen originally from Uganda.
Still, his threat toward O’Donnell stands out due to their long, bitter history.
A Feud Years in the Making
The animosity dates back to 2006, when O’Donnell mocked Trump on The View over his handling of a Miss USA scandal. Trump retaliated during a Celebrity Apprentice boardroom segment, repeatedly calling her “disgusting.” He also targeted her during a 2016 presidential debate, claiming “nobody feels sorry for her,” to which O’Donnell replied online, saying he would “never be president.”
Their feud has flared off and on ever since.
The Epstein Angle
O’Donnell’s Instagram post linking Trump to Epstein comes as the Epstein saga reignites. Trump recently defended Attorney General Pam Bondi after backlash from MAGA commentators over the DOJ’s heavily redacted Epstein file release. Critics accused Bondi of a cover-up after previously hinting that a “client list” existed—yet none appeared in the documents.
Trump responded by scolding his own base:
“They’re all going after Attorney General Pam Bondi, who is doing a FANTASTIC JOB… All over a guy who never dies—Jeffrey Epstein. It’s Epstein, over and over again.”
Despite urging supporters to move on, Trump’s own ties to Epstein remain a recurring flashpoint. Video footage from 1992 shows the two socializing at Mar-a-Lago. And in a 2002 New York magazine interview, Trump said:
“It is even said that he [Epstein] likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side.”
Following Epstein’s arrest in 2019, Trump sought to distance himself, claiming in the Oval Office: “I had a falling out with him. I haven’t spoken to him in 15 years. I was not a fan of his, that I can tell you.”
Mounting Questions
The Justice Department and FBI recently concluded a review of the Epstein investigation, stating that no “client list” was found and there was no credible evidence Epstein blackmailed powerful individuals. The memo contradicted months of MAGA-world speculation, and its timing fueled further mistrust.
Complicating matters, tech mogul Elon Musk recently suggested in a now-deleted post that Trump appears in the Epstein files—implying that’s why they remain sealed. Musk offered no evidence.
As debate over Epstein intensifies, Trump’s mixed messaging—from promising transparency, to denying the files exist, to now blaming “Radical Left” actors for supposedly faking them—has only stirred more confusion.
And O’Donnell, once again, has positioned herself as one of Trump’s most vocal and unrelenting critics.
