Former US President Donald Trump has once again stirred controversy by threatening to revoke the citizenship of talk show host Rosie O’Donnell after she criticized his administration’s handling of the devastating Texas floods. Trump’s statement, posted on his Truth Social account, comes amid growing public scrutiny over the federal response to the deadly July 4 disaster that claimed 119 lives. O’Donnell, a long-time critic of Trump, had blamed him for slashing funding to environmental and science agencies.
In a fiery post, Trump wrote, “Because Rosie O’Donnell is not in the best interests of our Great Country, I am giving serious consideration to taking away her Citizenship.” He further called her a “Threat to Humanity” and suggested she “should remain in the wonderful Country of Ireland.”
However, under US law, the president cannot revoke the citizenship of a person born in the United States. O’Donnell, who was born in New York, retains her American citizenship despite living in Ireland since early this year.
O’Donnell had posted a TikTok video blaming Trump’s administration for the floods, she mourned the lives lost and claimed the president's funding cuts to key forecasting agencies worsened the disaster’s impact. “When the president guts all the early warning systems… these are the results,” she said.
She responded to Trump’s threat with two Instagram posts, reaffirming her position, she stated that she opposes Trump because she “stands in direct opposition with all he represents.”
Trump and O’Donnell’s rivalry is not new, their feud dates back to 2006, when O’Donnell mocked Trump on The View over a Miss USA controversy. Since then, Trump has often lashed out at her publicly, making her one of his most frequent celebrity targets.
Trump’s threat followed backlash over the federal response to the catastrophic floods. O’Donnell was among many who questioned the administration’s preparedness. On Friday, Trump visited Texas and defended the response, claiming his agencies “did an incredible job under the circumstances.”
