Washington: "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," former President Donald Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform over the weekend. "She is a Threat to Humanity, and should remain in the wonderful Country of Ireland, if they want her." This statement has sparked debate over the legality of revoking citizenship from the US-born actor.
According to Deutsche Welle, experts quickly pointed out that Trump's threat is unconstitutional, citing the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution. Ratified in 1868, this amendment established that "all persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside." The US president has previously threatened to strip citizenship from naturalized citizens, including billionaire Elon Musk and New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, raising questions about the limits of presidential power.
A 1967 Supreme Court ruling determined that the US government cannot usually strip citizenship without a person's consent, except in cases involving fraud in the citizenship process. Cassandra Burke Robertson, a professor at Case Western Reserve University's law school, stated, "Denaturalization is no longer so rare," noting that the increase began during former President Barack Obama's administration with the use of digital tools to track potential fraud. However, Robertson added that the Trump administration has taken denaturalization to new levels amid its immigration crackdown.
The feud between Trump and O'Donnell spans nearly two decades. O'Donnell first criticized Trump's moral standards in 2006 during a "Miss USA Pageant" controversy, prompting a harsh response from Trump. The grudge deepened when Trump became president, as O'Donnell continued to criticize his policies. In early 2025, O'Donnell left the US following Trump's reelection, moving to Ireland with her child and pursuing Irish citizenship through descent. She has continued to criticize Trump's policies from abroad.
Most recently, O'Donnell criticized Trump's response to the Texas floods in a TikTok video, claiming his administration gutted early warning systems and weather-forecasting capabilities. This video is believed to have prompted Trump's threat on Truth Social. In response, O'Donnell posted on Instagram, challenging Trump to revoke her citizenship and listing traits she believes he fears: "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."