President Trump announced he is considering using government power against comedian and actress Rosie O’Donnell, threatening to revoke her citizenship.
On Saturday morning, Mr. Trump posted on Truth Social, stating, “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.”
The president labeled Ms. O’Donnell a “threat to humanity” and suggested she should remain in Ireland, where she relocated in January following his re-election.
This provocative statement from Mr. Trump arises amid various criticisms facing his administration, including internal conflicts among top law enforcement officials regarding the Jeffrey Epstein case, unresolved issues surrounding the suspension of munitions to Ukraine, and scrutiny of the homeland security chief over FEMA’s response in Texas.
In response, Ms. O’Donnell criticized Mr. Trump on Instagram, stating, “The president of the USA has always hated the fact that I see him for who he is — a criminal con man sexual abusing liar out to harm our nation to serve himself. This is why I moved to Ireland.”
She further mocked the president by sharing a photo of him with Jeffrey Epstein from 1997, saying, “You want to revoke my citizenship? Go ahead and try, King Joffrey with a tangerine spray tan,” referencing a character from “Game of Thrones.”
Legal experts indicated that the president lacks the authority to revoke the citizenship of a U.S.-born citizen. Julia Gelatt, associate director of the immigration program at the Migration Policy Institute, noted that U.S. citizens can only relinquish their citizenship voluntarily, while federal courts can strip naturalized citizens of their citizenship under specific circumstances.
Amanda Frost, a citizenship law expert at the University of Virginia School of Law, referenced a Supreme Court ruling from 1967, which established that the government cannot strip citizenship, affirming that “in our country the people are sovereign and the government cannot sever its relationship to the people by taking away their citizenship.”
The feud between Mr. Trump and Ms. O’Donnell began in 2006 when she criticized him on “The View” for defending a Miss USA contestant involved in a controversy, questioning his moral integrity. Following this, Mr. Trump began publicly insulting Ms. O’Donnell, calling her “fat” and “wacko.” During a 2015 G.O.P. debate, he acknowledged his derogatory remarks, stating, “Only Rosie O’Donnell.”