President Donald Trump threatened on Saturday to revoke the American citizenship of comedian and longtime critic Rosie O’Donnell, marking an unprecedented escalation in his efforts to weaponise citizenship against political opponents. Legal experts immediately dismissed the threat as constitutionally impossible.
The president posted on Truth Social that he was giving “serious consideration to taking away her Citizenship,” calling the New York-born actor “a Threat to Humanity” who “should remain in the wonderful Country of Ireland, if they want her.” O’Donnell, who moved to Ireland in January, has been a vocal Trump critic for nearly two decades.
Constitutional scholars and legal experts swiftly condemned the threat, noting that the president lacks any legal authority to strip citizenship from natural-born Americans. The move comes as Trump faces mounting legal defeats over his attempts to restrict birthright citizenship through executive order.
No Legal Pathway Exists
The White House declined to comment on whether Trump was serious about the threat or explain how he would implement such an action. Legal experts were unanimous in their assessment that no mechanism exists for a president to unilaterally revoke citizenship.
A president cannot unilaterally revoke someone’s citizenship,” Stephen Yale-Loehr, professor of immigration law practice at Cornell University, told reporters. The immigration law requires certain procedures to be followed before someone can be denaturalised. In the past, denaturalisation has usually been for fraud or misrepresentation.”
Jonathan Turley, professor at George Washington University Law School and Fox News legal analyst, stated bluntly: “I know of no basis that could be used to strip Rosie O’Donnell of citizenship.
The 14th Amendment to the Constitution explicitly protects birthright citizenship, stating that “all persons born or naturalised in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States.” O’Donnell was born in Commack, New York, making her citizenship constitutionally protected.
Pattern of Citizenship Threats
Trump’s threat against O’Donnell represents the latest in his administration’s aggressive attempts to narrow the definition of American citizenship. Since taking office in January, the president has pursued multiple avenues to restrict citizenship rights.
On his first day in office, Trump signed an executive order titled “Protecting the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship,” attempting to end birthright citizenship for children born to undocumented immigrants or temporary residents. Federal judges have repeatedly blocked the order as “blatantly unconstitutional.
I’ve been on the bench for over four decades, I can’t remember another case where the question presented is as clear as this one is,” said US District Judge John Coughenour, a Ronald Reagan appointee, when blocking the order in January.
The administration has also intensified efforts to denaturalise citizens. In a June memo, Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate directed the Justice Department’s civil division to “prioritise and maximally pursue denaturalisation proceedings” for naturalised citizens who have committed certain crimes.
Decades-Long Feud Escalates
The animosity between Trump and O’Donnell dates back to December 2006, when O’Donnell criticised Trump’s “moral compass” during a segment on “The View.” She questioned his credibility following his response to a Miss USA scandal, citing his history of divorces and affairs.
Trump retaliated by calling O’Donnell “a woman out of control” and threatening legal action. “Rosie will rue the words she said,” he declared at the time. “Rosie’s a loser. A real loser.”
The feud gained national attention during the 2015 Republican primary debate when moderator Megyn Kelly asked Trump about calling women “fat pigs, dogs, slobs and disgusting animals.” Trump interrupted, saying: “Only Rosie O’Donnell.
O’Donnell has described the harassment as profoundly damaging. Probably the Trump stuff was the most bullying I ever experienced in my life, including as a child,” she told reporters. “It was national, and it was sanctioned societally.”
Irish Exile Prompts Fresh Attacks
O’Donnell relocated to Ireland on 15 January, days before Trump’s second inauguration. In a TikTok video announcing her move, she said: “When it is safe for all citizens to have equal rights there in America, that’s when we will consider coming back.”
The comedian, whose father was an Irish immigrant, is pursuing Irish citizenship through descent. She cited concerns for her 12-year-old non-binary child as a factor in her decision to leave the United States.
O’Donnell’s criticism of Trump continued from abroad. Last week, she blamed the president for deadly flash floods in Texas, stating on TikTok: “When the president guts all of the early warning systems and the weathering forecast abilities of the government, these are the results that we’re going to start to see on a daily basis.
Swift Backlash from Critics
Trump’s threat prompted immediate condemnation from civil liberties advocates and political opponents. Ed Krassenstein, an anti-Trump influencer, wrote on social media: “This is what leaders like Hitler would try to do. Imagine if Biden said he was going to strip Trump of his citizenship. Imagine the outrage by MAGA. This is dangerous!”
Dean Obeidallah, a comedian and lawyer, suggested the timing was strategic: “This is to DISTRACT from Jeffrey Epstein file. Trump is panicking that pressure is building to release the file.”
O’Donnell responded defiantly on Instagram, writing that Trump “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.” She described him as “a dangerous old soulless man with dementia who lacks empathy compassion and basic humanity.
Legal Challenges Mount
Trump’s broader efforts to restrict citizenship face significant legal obstacles. Federal judges have issued multiple blocks against his birthright citizenship executive order, with cases now heading towards the Supreme Court.
US District Judge Joseph Laplante recently granted class-action status to protect babies who would be denied birthright citizenship, issuing a nationwide preliminary injunction. “The Executive Order contradicts the text of the Fourteenth Amendment and the century-old untouched precedent that interprets it,” he wrote.
The American Civil Liberties Union has led several challenges against Trump’s citizenship policies. Birthright citizenship is guaranteed in our Constitution and is absolutely central to what America stands for,” said Cody Wofsy, deputy director of the ACLU’s Immigrants‘ Rights Project.
As Trump’s citizenship threats escalate from policy proposals to personal attacks on critics, legal experts warn of the dangerous precedent being set. The president’s inability to follow through on his threat against O’Donnell may ultimately underscore the constitutional limits on executive power, even as it reveals his willingness to weaponise citizenship against political opponents.
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