President Donald Trump has once again thrust himself into a headline about a conflict with a celebrity, this time targeting comedian and former talk show host Rosie O’Donnell with an unprecedented threat that has legal experts scratching their heads and civil rights advocates sounding alarm bells.
The latest chapter in their nearly two-decade feud has escalated beyond personal insults into what many are calling yet another threat of dangerous abuse of presidential power.
Early Saturday, July 12, Trump took to Truth Social to announce he was giving “serious consideration” to revoking O’Donnell’s U.S. citizenship, claiming she “is not in the best interests of our Great Country.”
EPIC Trump TRUTH :
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. She is a Threat to Humanity, and should remain in the wonderful Country of Ireland, if they want… pic.twitter.com/bOMrzZBg9B
— Taxman (@TaxmanTm) July 12, 2025
The post represents a dramatic escalation in their long-standing personal animosity.
The announcement triggered immediate backlash across social media platforms, with one X user writing, “And so it begins. Trump is now threatening to strip Rosie O’Donnell of her U.S. citizenship because she’s ‘not in the best interests of our Great Country.’ Remember when they mocked us for saying Trump is a wannabe dictator who will always put himself above the Constitution?”
Legal scholars were quick to point out the fundamental flaw in Trump’s threat.
The 1967 Supreme Court case Afroyim v. Rusk established that the U.S. government cannot revoke an individual’s citizenship without their consent.
Stephen Yale-Loehr, a professor of immigration law practice at Cornell University, told Newsweek that “a president cannot unilaterally revoke someone’s citizenship,” explaining that immigration law requires specific procedures before someone can be denaturalized, typically only in cases involving fraud or misrepresentation.
Jonathan Turley, a professor at George Washington University Law School, was even more direct, telling Newsweek he knows “of no basis that could be used to strip Rosie O’Donnell of citizenship.”
O’Donnell, currently residing in Ireland after leaving the United States just days before Trump’s second inauguration, responded fiercely on Instagram.
In her characteristic unfiltered style, she wrote that “the president of the usa has always hated the fact that i see him for who he is – a criminal con man sexual abusing liar out to harm our nation to serve himself – this is why i moved to ireland – he is a dangerous old soulless man with dementia who lacks empathy compassion and basic humanity.”
Public reaction to Trump’s threat has been swift and largely critical. Social media users expressed disbelief and concern about the implications.
“This dude a straight up crybaby…MAGA voted for this…Trump the type that will go after X users who are making fun of him with memes and jokes..he’ll threaten anyone who doesn’t agree to his agenda,” one person tweeted.
Another warned, “I told you this wouldn’t end with immigrants. Trump was going to come for Americans next. He is a monster.”
The Trump-O’Donnell feud traces back to December 2006, when O’Donnell, then co-hosting “The View,” criticized Trump’s moral authority during a Miss USA pageant controversy. She questioned his fitness to serve as a moral compass, referencing his multiple marriages and affairs.
It’s kind of wild how Trump’s feud with Rosie started with this simple joke she made about him on The View..and he’s still attacking her about it 20 years later, Trump really has some thin skin pic.twitter.com/RSa248HPiD https://t.co/dHBU79P3TV
— Michael #FreeWendy (@MichaelEnvy) July 12, 2025
Trump responded by calling her “a woman out of control” and threatening legal action.
Their conflict became a cultural touchstone, reaching its most public moment during a 2015 presidential debate when moderator Megyn Kelly questioned Trump about his history of using derogatory terms to describe women. Trump’s response, “Only Rosie O’Donnell,” became one of the most memorable moments of his first presidential campaign.
Megyn Kelly: “You’ve called women you don’t like fat pigs, dogs, slobs and disgusting animals.”
Donald Trump, our President: “Only Rosie O’Donnell.”
He’s not wrong… pic.twitter.com/WiaFYDEqH0
— Ryann McEnany (@RyannMcEnany) March 12, 2025
Critics view Trump’s latest threat as part of a broader pattern of authoritarian behavior.
“Trump is openly threatening U.S. citizens for criticizing him. This isn’t just unhinged — it’s authoritarianism in plain sight,” one X user observed.
Another added, “Trump threatening to exert an authority no president has. He knows nothing of the Constitution or governance. Simply a madman.”
Some just say he is trying throw people off, writing, “Distraction Keep the Epstein pressure up.”
What other proof do we need? pic.twitter.com/y2BOq19g0H
— Pamela -Wysox, Pa (@pam8896) July 12, 2025
O’Donnell’s defiant second Instagram post, featured a photo of Trump with Jeffrey Epstein and stated, “hey donald – you’re rattled again? 18 years later and I still live rent-free in that collapsing brain of yours,” demonstrates her refusal to be intimidated by presidential threats.
The incident highlights broader concerns about Trump’s understanding of constitutional limitations and his willingness to use the presidency as a platform for personal vendettas.
Legal experts agree Trump can’t revoke O’Donnell’s citizenship, but the statement signals the threat of even more unconstitutional actions from the 47th president.
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