U.S. President Donald Trump has once again taken aim at longtime critic Rosie O’Donnell, suggesting he may consider revoking her U.S. citizenship after she publicly criticized the administration’s response to the recent deadly floods in Texas. In a heated message posted on his social media platform, Trump claimed O’Donnell is not acting in the best interest of the nation and even implied she should remain in Ireland, where she currently resides.
Trump’s comments come in the wake of widespread backlash against the government’s handling of emergency response and weather forecasting prior to the catastrophic Texas floods that claimed the lives of at least 120 people, many of them children. O’Donnell had posted a video online mourning the victims and linking the tragedy to major cuts made to environmental and scientific agencies under Trump’s leadership. She argued that by weakening these early warning systems, the administration contributed to the scale of the disaster.
Despite Trump’s claim, U.S. law prohibits revoking the citizenship of an individual born in the United States. O’Donnell was born in New York and holds full citizenship. Nevertheless, Trump’s statement echoed rhetoric previously used to target foreign-born critics, despite its legal impossibility in this case.
Rosie O’Donnell, who has a long history of conflict with Trump, did not stay silent. In two social media posts, she hit back, stating that her outspoken criticism stems from a fundamental opposition to everything Trump represents. Her move to Ireland earlier this year, along with her young son, was partly in response to what she described as a dangerous and oppressive environment in the U.S. She vowed to return only when she believed it was safe for all citizens to enjoy equal rights.
The longstanding feud between Trump and O’Donnell dates back nearly two decades. Their public sparring began in 2006 when O’Donnell, then a co-host on a popular daytime talk show, mocked Trump’s handling of a scandal involving a Miss USA titleholder. Trump, who owned the Miss Universe organization at the time, responded with a barrage of personal insults—a pattern that has continued intermittently ever since.
The recent floods in Texas, which struck with terrifying speed on July 4, have raised serious concerns nationwide. Critics point to government negligence and underfunded disaster readiness programs as factors that may have worsened the situation. Many affected communities reported insufficient warnings and a lack of preparedness as heavy rains inundated neighborhoods, forcing families to flee in the middle of the night.
With public scrutiny mounting, Trump’s administration has faced tough questions about its preparedness and support for science-based agencies tasked with forecasting extreme weather. Environmental and emergency experts have long warned that dismantling such agencies or slashing their budgets could result in deadly consequences—a concern that O’Donnell and others are now amplifying in the wake of this national tragedy.
As the political and public fallout continues, Trump’s remarks targeting O’Donnell appear to be part of a broader strategy to deflect criticism by reigniting old feuds. However, legal experts and critics have dismissed his citizenship threats as baseless and unconstitutional, viewing them instead as another attempt to intimidate dissenting voices.
