Rosie O’Donnell’s longstanding feud with President Donald Trump dates back nearly 20 years.
While the two used to be friends — O’Donnell has even claimed to have attended Trump’s 1993 wedding to his ex-wife Marla Maples — a very public spat on The View in 2006 spiraled into a nasty war of words that carries over to the present day.
The feud has occasionally been reignited during Trump’s decade in politics, including the president warning O’Donnell that he could revoke her U.S. citizenship following her move to Ireland in January 2025.
Keep scrolling for a rundown of some major moments in the epic O’Donnell vs. Trump feud.
December 2006
The drama started after Trump held a press conference to announce that he would not strip then-reigning Miss USA Tara Conner of her crown when accusations of recreational drug use and drinking came to light. (Trump owned the Miss USA pageant at the time and required Conner to enter rehab to keep her title.)
Rosie O’Donnell and Daughter Chelsea O’Donnell’s Relationship Ups and Downs
On The View, O’Donnell accused Trump’s press conference of being self-serving and mockingly compared him to the “snake-oil salesman on Little House On The Prairie.” O’Donnell further claimed that Trump cheated on his ex-wives and had previously gone bankrupt — both of which Trump has denied.
“He’s the moral compass for 20-year-olds in America. Donald, sit and spin, my friend,” she joked.
Trump responded by telling People that O’Donnell lied about him on The View, calling her “a woman out of control.”
“I’ll most likely sue her for making those false statements — and it’ll be fun. Rosie’s a loser. A real loser,” he complained. “I look forward to taking lots of money from my nice fat little Rosie.”
May 2007
Trump weighed in on O’Donnell’s controversial departure from The View after an infamous on-air argument with cohost Elisabeth Hasselbeck about the Iraq War. O’Donnell asked The View to be released from her contract when Hasselbeck refused to condemn media pundits for equating O’Donnell’s anti-war criticism to comparing U.S. troops to terrorists.
Trump mocked both View cohosts, but admitted to Extra: “On this one, I think Rosie should win, but Rosie is not much herself. I think anybody that’s against the war in Iraq is the winner of the fight, because to justify the war in Iraq — only an imbecile could do that.”
August 2012
Trump seemingly buried the hatchet with O’Donnell following her heart attack in 2012, writing via Twitter (now known as X): “Rosie, get better fast. I’m starting to miss you.”
Nobody seemed more surprised than O’Donnell, who replied: “Well thank u donald – i must admit ur post was a bit of a shock … r u trying to kill me?”
July 2014
Trump initially responded favorably to ABC’s announcement that O’Donnell was returning to The View that fall after a seven-year absence. He credited ABC with making a “good move” by rehiring O’Donnell but he wasn’t supportive for very long.
“Rosie is back on the View which tells you how desperate they must be. It is the standard short term fix and long term disaster,” he later tweeted.
Rosie O’Donnell Compares Old Neighbor Diddy to Harvey Weinstein
O’Donnell left The View in early 2015 following disputes with Whoopi Goldberg.
August 2015
The feud took center stage once again during one of Trump’s Republican presidential debates, after moderator Megyn Kelly asked if he regretted referring to women as “fat pigs,” “disgusting animals” and “dogs” in the past.
“Only Rosie O’Donnell,” Trump replied, eliciting gasps of shock from the debate crowd.
O’Donnell reacted to Trump’s debate insult by tweeting: “Try explaining that 2 ur kids.”
June 2016
A few months prior to the 2016 election, O’Donnell derisively referred to Trump as an “orange slug” during an appearance on Alec Baldwin’s Match Game reboot. (Baldwin is also known for his longstanding dispute with Trump over impersonating the politician on Saturday Night Live.)
August 2018
O’Donnell led a protest against then-President Trump outside the White House in Washington D.C., according to Variety. The former Rosie O’Donnell Show host delivered a fiery speech calling on Trump’s political opponents to resist his administration’s policies.
“Let the president know, in no uncertain terms, that we are alive, awake and we are woke,” she told a cheering crowd.
March 2025
O’Donnell confirmed that she’d moved from the U.S. to Ireland with her 12-year-old child, Clay, in the days before Trump’s second presidential inauguration.
“[I’m] in the process of getting my Irish citizenship, as I have Irish grandparents,” she explained via Instagram. “And that’s what’s going on, and that’s where I’ve been and what I’ve been doing. And although I was never someone who thought I would move to another country, that’s what I decided would be the best for myself and my 12-year-old child. And here we are.”
July 2025
Trump threatened to use his presidential power to revoke O’Donnell’s U.S. citizenship as payback for her continuous criticism. Political scholars dispute that a president has the power to strip a U.S. citizen of their legal status.
“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 nevertheless warned via Truth Social. “She is a Threat to Humanity, and should remain in the wonderful Country of Ireland, if they want her. GOD BLESS AMERICA!”
O’Donnell replied via Instagram, “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.” (Trump has denied all allegations of sexual misconduct.)
