DUBLIN – Comedian and longtime Trump critic Rosie O’Donnell announced Tuesday she’s on the cusp of securing Irish citizenship, a move born of her self-imposed exile from the U.S. following President Donald Trump’s 2024 reelection. The 63-year-old, whose grandparents hail from County Donegal, revealed in an Australian Daily Telegraph interview that approval is imminent, providing a safety net against the president’s repeated threats to strip her American citizenship. “It will be good to have my Irish citizenship, especially since Trump keeps threatening to take away mine,” O’Donnell said, her words laced with the wry defiance that’s defined her two-decade feud with the commander-in-chief.
O’Donnell relocated to Ireland in January 2025, just days before Trump’s inauguration, citing fears for her “safety and sanity” amid his promised immigration crackdown. The former talk show host, who shares five children with ex-wives Kelli Carpenter and Michelle Rounds, brought her youngest son, Clay, 12, along for what she described as a “wonderful” fresh start. Yet the move hasn’t quelled the barbs: In July, Trump posted on Truth Social that he was “giving serious consideration” to revoking her birthright citizenship, calling her a “threat to humanity” unfit for America. O’Donnell fired back on Substack, branding him a “criminal con man sexual abusing liar out to harm our nation.”
The White House wasted no time reveling in the news. Spokeswoman Abigail Jackson quipped to The Independent: “What great news for America!” The sarcastic jab underscores the administration’s glee at the prospect of one of Trump’s most vocal detractors—famous for her 2006 “The View” roast that ignited their rivalry—opting out of the country she once championed. Ellen DeGeneres, a close friend, rallied to her side in March, praising O’Donnell’s courage amid the citizenship threats.
O’Donnell’s saga mirrors a wave of high-profile exiles, from celebrities to activists fleeing Trump’s policies. Her Irish roots qualify her for fast-track citizenship under descent laws, a process she’s navigated quietly since March. As she gears up for Sydney Opera House shows this week, O’Donnell reflected on missing her older children’s milestones, like a University of Delaware graduation. “I never thought he’d win again,” she admitted in a New York Times interview, conceding her application isn’t fully approved yet.
In a nation gripped by deportation debates and birthright citizenship challenges, O’Donnell’s pivot to the Emerald Isle symbolizes deeper rifts. Is it prudent escape or premature surrender? For Trump, it’s vindication; for her fans, a heartbreaking stand against tyranny. As Dublin’s cobblestones welcome her, America watches—and the White House chuckles.
