Rosie O’Donnell, the outspoken comedian and television personality, has once again found herself at the center of a political firestorm—this time thousands of miles away from her native United States. In a series of interviews and public statements over the past week, O’Donnell revealed she is in the final stages of securing Irish citizenship, a move she describes as a "self-imposed exile" for her "safety and sanity" amid the intensifying feud with President Donald Trump.
O’Donnell, 63, moved to Ireland in January 2025, just after Trump’s reelection, seeking what she calls a much-needed respite from the political climate back home. "I am applying and about to be approved for my Irish citizenship as my grandparents were from there and that’s all you need," she told the Daily Telegraph on October 6, 2025, as reported by Rolling Stone and other outlets. "It will be good to have my Irish citizenship, especially since Trump keeps threatening to take away mine."
The comedian’s decision to relocate wasn’t made lightly. O’Donnell has described the move as "the most adventurous thing that I've ever done in my life," adding, "I really believe, because I felt I had to, and thank God that I did. That's all I can say, thank God." She has been candid about the toll the current American political landscape has taken on her, explaining that her new life in Ireland offers her peace and a sense of belonging she felt she had lost in the United States. "It's very peaceful. I love the politics of the country. I love the people and their generous hearts and spirit. And it's been very good for my daughter," she wrote on Substack, as cited by The Mirror.
O’Donnell’s move comes against the backdrop of a long-standing and highly public feud with Trump, which has only escalated since his return to the White House. In July 2025, Trump took to Truth Social to threaten O’Donnell’s American citizenship, writing, "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." He went further, labeling her a "Threat to Humanity," and suggesting, "She should remain in the wonderful Country of Ireland, if they want her. GOD BLESS AMERICA!"
O’Donnell didn’t mince words in her response, firing back on social media: "You call me a threat to humanity – but I’m everything you fear: a loud woman, a queer woman, a mother who tells the truth, an American who got out of the country before you set it ablaze. You are everything that is wrong with America." She has repeatedly characterized Trump as a "criminal con man sexual abusing liar out to harm our nation to serve himself," and has warned that "people will die" under his leadership "as a result of his cruelty, his greed, his incompetence."
The White House has not shied away from the spat either. On October 7, 2025, spokesperson Abigail Jackson responded to news of O’Donnell’s Irish citizenship application with a biting remark to Fox News Digital: "What great news for America!" The sarcasm was unmistakable, reflecting the administration’s apparent indifference—or perhaps relief—at O’Donnell’s departure.
Despite the heated rhetoric, the possibility of O’Donnell actually losing her U.S. citizenship is remote. As she herself pointed out on Substack, "He can't do that because it's against the Constitution, and even the Supreme Court has not given him the right to do that ... he's not allowed to do that, the only way you're allowed to take away someone's citizenship is if they renounce it themselves, and I will never renounce my American citizenship. I am a very proud citizen of the United States." O’Donnell has made it clear she intends to maintain dual citizenship, explaining, "I will be there visiting and go to see [my children]. And I have the freedom to do that, as does every American citizen."
Still, the threats and the political climate have had real consequences. In September 2025, O’Donnell confided on the No Filter podcast that she skipped her daughter’s college graduation in the U.S. due to security concerns. "I didn’t go back because the security people said to me they didn’t think it was wise. Because I think Trump will use me to rile his base," she explained, according to Rolling Stone.
O’Donnell’s criticisms of the Trump administration have gone beyond personal attacks. She has warned of what she sees as a shift toward authoritarianism in America, telling the Daily Telegraph, "What's coming is fascism in the United States, pure and simple. Christian white nationalism, and that's not democracy, and that's not a democratic republic, and you know, that's not who we are. I feel that if we let them continue on, we are doomed as a democracy." She has also been vocal about Trump’s controversial domestic policies, including his plans to deploy the military to Portland, Oregon, which she decried as an attempt to impose martial law and disrupt elections.
For O’Donnell, Ireland has become a sanctuary, a place to regroup and continue her activism from afar. She has spoken warmly of her new home, emphasizing the sense of peace and community she’s found there. Yet she remains deeply connected to the U.S., both through her children and her ongoing commentary on American politics. "I still want to maintain my citizenship in the United States. My children are there. I will be there visiting and go to see them," she reiterated.
The O’Donnell-Trump feud is hardly new. It dates back almost two decades, but the stakes—and the vitriol—have risen sharply in recent years. Trump’s threats to strip O’Donnell of her citizenship, while legally dubious, have struck a nerve, prompting her to seek additional security through Irish citizenship. At the same time, O’Donnell has used her platform to warn about the dangers she perceives in Trump’s policies and rhetoric, both for herself and for the country at large.
Her journey has even taken her further afield: in early October 2025, O’Donnell arrived in Sydney, Australia, for live performances at the iconic Sydney Opera House. She described the trip as "unbelievable" and "so unlike me, going to Australia," adding, "I've always wanted to be a more adventurous person; I'm such a homebody. I'm not that adventurous. Moving to Ireland was the most adventurous thing that I've ever done in my life."
As America watches from afar, O’Donnell’s story is a vivid illustration of the personal consequences of political conflict—and the lengths to which some will go to find peace, safety, and a sense of belonging. Her dual citizenship journey is both a personal milestone and a pointed commentary on the state of American politics in 2025.
