Trump Threatens to Strip Rosie O’Donnell’s Citizenship — But Legal Experts Say He Can’t

As some might say, unhinged US President Donald Trump has reignited his long-running feud with comedian Rosie O’Donnell, this time by suggesting he’s considering taking away her US citizenship. This move, constitutional scholars say, is both impossible and illegal.

“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,” Donald Trump wrote on his social media platform Saturday. He added that O’Donnell, who moved to Ireland earlier this year, should remain there “if they want her.”

A Decades-Long Rivalry Reignited

The public hostility between Trump and Rosie O’Donnell dates back to the early 2000s, long before Donald Trump’s political career began. The two have traded insults and barbs in interviews, on Twitter, and during television appearances. But the latest escalation — invoking the removal of Rosie O’Donnell’s citizenship — has legal experts and civil rights advocates speaking out.

Rosie O’Donnell, a US citizen by birth, moved to Ireland after Trump defeated Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election. She’s currently in the process of obtaining Irish citizenship through her family heritage, but has not renounced her American citizenship.

In response to Donald Trump’s threat-laced post, Rosie O’Donnell clapped back online, writing, “Add me to the list of people who oppose him at every turn.”

Can the President Really Do That?

The short answer: absolutely not. According to the US Constitution and established legal precedent, the president lacks the authority to revoke the citizenship of a U.S.-born citizen.

Legal constitutional experts, such as Amanda Frost, have referenced the 1967 Supreme Court case Afroyim v. Rusk, which ruled that the Fourteenth Amendment protects against involuntary loss of citizenship. “The president has no authority to take away the citizenship of a native-born U.S. citizen. “We are a nation founded on the principle that the people choose the government; the government cannot choose the people.”

The US State Department echoes this, stating on its website that only voluntary acts — such as formally renouncing citizenship before a consular officer — can lead to a loss of nationality.

Part of a Larger Pattern?

Donald Trump’s threat toward Rosie O’Donnell follows recent comments suggesting he might expand deportation plans to include U.S. citizens, and a similar threat aimed at former adviser Elon Musk, a naturalised citizen born in South Africa. Critics argue that these threats are not only legally baseless but also potentially dangerous, as they could set a precedent for authoritarian overreach.

While many dismissed Trump’s threats and latest comments as political theater, others see them as part of a broader attempt to intimidate dissent and erode constitutional norms.

As Rosie O’Donnell continues her life abroad and Trump heads into the heart of his second term, one thing is clear: this feud isn’t over — but neither is Rosie’s citizenship.