The 63-year-old actress and comedian, who now resides in Ireland, walked the red carpet in a grey, paint-splattered jacket emblazoned repeatedly with the word “New York” and a prominent Big Apple graphic at the center. Her black trousers bore the same message in vivid neon letters. The ensemble was more than just a fashion choice—it was a message.
“I’m from New York. I’ll always be from New York,” her outfit seemed to declare.
O’Donnell’s defiant appearance came days after Trump posted on Truth Social that he was “giving serious consideration” to stripping her of U.S. citizenship—despite the legal impossibility of such an act under the Constitution, given that O’Donnell was born in New York State.
“She is a Threat to Humanity,” Trump wrote, “and should remain in the wonderful Country of Ireland, if they want her.”
That post ignited yet another chapter in a feud that has simmered for nearly two decades. O’Donnell, never one to back down, responded across multiple platforms with a scorched-earth campaign against the president, dragging up his ties to Jeffrey Epstein, mocking his intelligence, and challenging his morality.
In one Instagram post, she fired back:
“Hey Donald – rattled again? Eighteen years later and I still live rent-free in that collapsing brain of yours.”
“You crave loyalty – I teach my children to question power. You sell fear on golf courses – I make art about surviving trauma. You lie, you steal, you degrade – I nurture, I create, I persist.”
In another blunt message she wrote:
“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.”
“You are everything wrong with America. And I’m everything you hate about what’s still right with it.”
On social media, O’Donnell didn’t hold back, sharing an altered image of Trump in a red MAGA hat—reworded to read, “I’m on the list,” a jab at the alleged Epstein client list. She posted old photos of Trump with Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, alongside screenshots of Trump begging, “STOP TALKING ABOUT EPSTEIN!!!!!” on Truth Social.
She accused Trump of “decades of sexual abuse,” posting a profile image of him next to a list of accusers, claiming he’s a “dangerous old man with dementia” who lacks empathy or compassion.
O’Donnell, who moved to Ireland earlier this year with her 12-year-old son, cited her need to protect her mental health and escape what she describes as a “fascist” government. She has since begun the process of obtaining Irish citizenship through her ancestry.
“I look at America and it feels tragic,” she told HuffPost. “I knew what they were planning. I read Project 2025. I saw it coming. And I couldn’t put myself through four more years of this madness.”
She added:
“I’ll come back when it’s safe for all citizens to have equal rights in America.”
During the Burlesque premiere, Rosie continued her criticism of Trump on the red carpet, sarcastically recommending a few musicals for him to watch:
Hamilton — “So he can learn what it means to lead.”
Les Misérables — quoting lines about justice, identity, and redemption.
La Cage aux Folles — “So he can understand the beauty and dignity of LGBTQ+ lives.”
“And I stand in unison,” she added, “with every gay person all over the world, and especially trans people being marginalized by this abusive government.”
This isn’t a new fight. Trump’s animosity toward O’Donnell dates back to 2006, when she mocked him on The View for his handling of the Miss USA scandal. Since then, Trump has frequently targeted her with crude insults in debates, interviews, and social media. During a 2015 GOP debate, when questioned about calling women “pigs” and “slobs,” Trump smugly replied, “Only Rosie O’Donnell.”
Following his election, O’Donnell told W Magazine that she struggled deeply with his presidency, saying it took her a year to regain emotional balance.
“It’s terrifying,” she said then. “I seriously worry whether I personally will be able to live through it—and whether the nation will.”
In a recent TikTok video, O’Donnell mourned the lives lost in the July 4 floods in Texas and criticized Trump’s environmental policy rollbacks, claiming his administration weakened disaster warning systems.
“These are the consequences of gutting science,” she said. “And we’re going to start seeing them more and more.”
From red carpets to social media tirades, Rosie O’Donnell shows no sign of backing down. If anything, the latest volley from Trump has only reignited her fire. With sharp words, biting satire, and unapologetic defiance, she’s made one thing abundantly clear: she won’t be silenced.