Donald Trump and Rosie O’Donnell's long-standing feud explained
Fans of Rosie O'Donnell have been left blindsided this week, after Donald Trump issued the much-loved talk show host an unnerving threat.
In fact, many claim they had no idea that the big-name duo had been at loggerheads for some time.
But where, and when, did their 'beef' first begin?
To answer those questions, we have to refer all the way back to 2006, when actress O'Donnell fired shots at then-businessman Trump during an episode of The View, which she hosted.
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During the series' Hot Topic segment, O'Donnell addressed the controversy surrounding that year's Miss USA, Tara Conner, who was accused of drinking and drug use, while criticising Trump for being the 'moral authority'.
This came after he defended Conner, telling the press: "I’ve always been a believer in second chances. Tara is a good person. Tara has tried hard. Tara is going to be given a second chance."
What did O'Donnell first say about Trump?
O'Donnell went on to declare on the show: "He annoys me on a multitude of levels. [He] left the first wife, had an affair, left the second wife, had an affair, had kids both times, but he's the moral compass for 20-year-olds in America."
She added: "Donald, sit and spin, my friend. I don't enjoy him."
The presenter also went on to brand Trump the 'snake-oil salesman on Little House On The Prairie', and alleged he is not the self-made man he claims to be, referencing his dad's fortune.
How did Trump respond?
Trump later branded O'Donnell a 'woman out of control' while chatting to PEOPLE.
He also claimed his father, Trump Sr, never handed him 'tonnes of money'.
"You can’t make false statements. Rosie will rue the words she said," Trump continued. "I’ll most likely sue her for making those false statements - and it’ll be fun. Rosie’s a loser. A real loser."
How did their feud continue?
In the years since, while the pair haven't come to blows in person, their war of words has certainly continued online.
In 2011, when O'Donnell announced on X that she and then-partner Michelle Rounds had gotten engaged, Trump claimed he felt 'sorry' for the latter's parents, once again taking the opportunity to brand the TV star a 'loser'.
He fired another attack at O'Donnell on social media years later, after she opened up about her weight loss journey. In response, Trump accused the on-screen favourite of being 'not politically correct' for doing so.
The same year, O'Donnell told PEOPLE: "Probably the Trump stuff was the most bullying I ever experienced in my life, including as a child.
"It was national, and it was sanctioned societally. Whether I deserved it is up to your own interpretation."
What happened after Trump became president in 2016?
After transitioning into politics in 2015, O'Donnell seemingly made it her aim to fight Trump's right-wing propositions and potential policies.
During an interview with Fox's Megyn Kelly, Trump was asked about his use of derogatory language to describe women.
In response, he attempted to joke that he'd use terms like 'fat pigs', 'dogs', 'slobs' and 'disgusting animals' for 'only Rosie O'Donnell'.
And in his first campaign, Trump also referenced the TV host during a debate against then-Democratic representative Hillary Clinton, telling viewers: "Somebody who has been very vicious to me, Rosie O’Donnell, I said very tough things to her and I think everybody would agree that she deserves it and nobody feels sorry for her."
In response, O'Donnell went on to brand Trump an 'orange anus' in a fiery, now-deleted social media post.
Speaking to W Magazine in 2017 following the Republican's election victory, she expressed concern for not being able to 'live through' his term in the White House.
O'Donnell confessed at the time: "It has taken me a full year to integrate the reality of him being a president in a way that I don’t come across as either so full of rage that no one can hear my words, or so sad that I can’t articulate the level of pain.
"It’s taken a year for me to get my equilibrium back, to come back up to the surface."
She continued: "I seriously worry whether I personally will be able to live through [his presidency] and whether the nation will be able to live through it and survive. It’s a terrifying concept, on the brink of nuclear war with a madman in charge."
The following year, she even appeared outside of his presidential residence in protest.
How about Trump's second term?
Despite a brief, left-leaning interlude with Joe Biden, O'Donnell's worst fears were realised once again, when Trump was announced victorious against Kamala Harris in the 2024 US election.
Following his second January inauguration, she revealed that she'd fled the United States for Ireland and was in the process of getting citizenship as she has Irish grandparents.
O'Donnell claimed she and her child, Clay, would only return when 'it is safe for all citizens to have equal rights there in America'.
Appearing on the Late Late Show in the weeks that followed, O'Donnell confessed she still couldn't believe how openly Trump voices his dislike of her, adding: "He was very angry to say the least, and he hasn’t let it go.
"And he sort of uses me as a punchline whenever he feels the need."
Trump evidenced this during Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin's visit to the White House for St Patrick's Day in March, when he admitted he 'liked' a question a reporter had asked the European about O'Donnell's move.
After Martin confessed to not knowing who she was, Trump joked he's 'better off' that way.
O'Donnell later responded, saying: "He’s been doing it for two decades, and I’m still not used to it every time he does."
What was Trump's most recent threat?
Back in July, while promoting his plan for the 'largest deportation operation in American history', Trump joked he was 'giving serious consideration' to taking away O'Donnell's US citizenship.
Writing on Truth Social at the time, the Republican said: "She is a Threat to Humanity, and should remain in the wonderful Country of Ireland, if they want her. GOD BLESS AMERICA!"
In response, O'Donnell wrote on Instagram: "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."
She went on to add in another post: "This is why I moved to Ireland.
"He is a dangerous old soulless man with dementia who lacks empathy compassion and basic humanity - I stand in direct opposition [to] all he represents - so do millions of others.
"U gonna deport all who stand against ur evil tendencies - ur a bad joke who cant form a coherent sentence #nevertrump."
This week, Trump seemed to double down on his citizenship threat in another social media rant.
On Thursday (4 September), he wrote: "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!"
It's worth noting, however, that no matter how hard Trump tries to have the star removed from the country, the US Constitution remains firmly on O'Donnell's side.
Being that she was born on American soil, in Commack, New York, the president can't strip her citizenship.
Topics: Donald Trump, Rosie O'Donnell, Celebrity, Politics, US News
Rhianna Benson