Can Rosie O’Donnell lose her U.S. citizenship after moving to Ireland?

The long-standing feud between Rosie O’Donnell and Donald Trump reignited this week after the president once again floated the legally impossible idea of revoking her U.S. citizenship, this time in the midst of renewed scrutiny around the Epstein case.

In a now-viral Truth Social post from Wednesday night, Trump declared, “As previously mentioned, we are giving serious thought to taking away Rosie O’Donnell’s Citizenship. She is not a Great American and is, in my opinion, incapable of being so!” The post included a distorted image of O’Donnell’s face and reignited widespread discussion about their decades-long public rivalry.

O’Donnell wasted no time firing back. On Instagram, she mocked Trump with a reference to HBO’s Succession, saying, “Banishing me again? Logan Roy would be proud. [I’m] the distraction – EPSTEIN SURVIVORS are the reckoning and your gold lamé throne is melting.” 

© Amanda Edwards

The post referred to ongoing calls for transparency from Epstein survivors, who had gathered on Capitol Hill that same day. O’Donnell had shared her support for the cause across social media.

Can Trump actually revoke Rosie O’Donnell’s Citizenship?

Despite the dramatic rhetoric, Trump’s threat carries no legal weight. The 14th Amendment grants birthright citizenship to anyone born on U.S. soil. Rosie O’Donnell, born in Commack, New York, is constitutionally protected.

© Getty

That hasn’t stopped Trump from repeatedly floating the idea. As recently as July 12, he posted, “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 her. GOD BLESS AMERICA!”

Inside their long-standing feud:

The Trump-O’Donnell clash traces back nearly 20 years, sparked in 2006 when O’Donnell criticized Trump’s handling of the Miss USA controversy while co-hosting ‘The View.’ 

© Jeff Kravitz

During a 2015 Republican primary debate, when asked about his past derogatory remarks about women, Trump responded with, “Only Rosie O’Donnell.”

O’Donnell’s move to Ireland:

Rosie O’Donnell made headlines earlier this year when she relocated to Ireland with her daughter. Citing a hostile political environment under Trump’s second term, she said on TikTok, “It got sad and scary for me with the election of the current president, so I knew I had to take care of my kid, my non-binary, Autistic kid. And the way that people marginalize and attack the Trans community, especially politically, is unfathomable to me, and so unbearably cruel.”

© Rosie O’Donnell/Instagram

She also told her followers that she was in the process of securing Irish citizenship through her grandparents and currently resides in Ireland as a dual-citizen.

Back in March, while Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar visited the White House, a reporter asked Trump about O’Donnell’s move. Trump, visibly annoyed, cut in, “Do you know who she is? You’re better off not knowing.”

© Rosie O’Donnell/Instagram

O’Donnell has been candid about her decision to leave the U.S., which she says was driven by fear and disappointment following Trump’s return to power.

“When it is safe for all citizens to have equal rights there in America, that’s when we will consider coming back,” she told followers on TikTok. She described the move to Ireland as “the safest and best thing” for her and her family.