Rosie O’Donnell leaves US after Trump win
Rosie O’Donnell has been sparring with President Trump since 2006, and now the frequent Trump critic has confirmed she fled the country after his return to the Oval Office.
The comedian said she is living in Ireland and is in the process of applying for Irish citizenship.
“It’s been pretty wonderful, I have to say,” the 62-year-old said in a video on TikTok. “And the people have been so loving, so kind and so welcoming. And I’m very grateful.”
O’Donnell said she left the country Jan. 15, five days before President Trump’s inauguration.
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Rosie O’Donnell confirmed this week that she and her daughter moved to Ireland in January, just five days before President Trump’s inauguration. (Getty Images)
“Although I was someone who never thought I would move to another country, that’s what I decided would be the best for myself and my 12-year-old child,” she explained.
O’Donnell disagrees with Trump not only politically. The two have also been involved in a feud since 2006 after she criticized him on “The View” about his decision to be lenient toward a Miss USA winner who had been accused of drug use and other bad behavior.
Trump responded to the criticism by calling O’Donnell a “real loser.”
At the time, he said of Miss USA Tara Conner that he is a “believer in second chances. Tara is a good person. Tara has tried hard. Tara is going to be given a second chance.”
Trump holds a press conference in 2006 with Miss USA Tara Conner. (Michael Loccisano/FilmMagic)
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Rosie O’Donnell in Ireland. (Rosie O’Donnell/Instagram)
The pair continued to spar back and forth, with O’Donnell telling People magazine in 2014 their feud involved the “most bullying I ever experienced in my life.”
O’Donnell stepped up her Trump critiques during his first presidential run and win, jokingly telling Seth Meyers in 2017 that she spends “about 90% of my working hours tweeting hatred toward this administration.”
The actress even came up in a 2015 Republican primary debate when Trump was asked about having called women disparaging names like “fat pigs” and “slob,” and he answered, “Only Rosie O’Donnell,” to laughter.
“I’m trying to find a home here in this beautiful country, and when it is safe for all citizens to have equal rights there in America, that’s when we will consider coming back.”
Trump also brought up O’Donnell during last year’s election when he told a crowd at the October Al Smith dinner that “The View” had gotten “so bad” that showrunners “really need to bring Rosie O’Donnell back.”
The “Now and Then” star stayed engaged during the election, frequently posting videos on TikTok, including an especially fiery one on Thanksgiving when she warned people, “You can’t forget what he’s capable of. … This is not a sane person. This is a madman. You gotta get ready for what’s coming.
“When democracy falls, fascism takes its place.”
Rosie O’Donnell at a White House protest in 2018. (Nicholas Kamm/AFP via Getty Images)
Aside from all of her political reasons for leaving the U.S., O’Donnell says she and her daughter are “happy” in Ireland and enjoy exploring the country.
“I miss my other kids,” she added of her five grown children. “I miss my friends. I miss many things about life there at home. And I’m trying to find a home here in this beautiful country. And when it is safe for all citizens to have equal rights there in America, that’s when we will consider coming back.”
The “A League of Their Own” star added that it’s “heartbreaking to see what’s happening politically and hard for me personally as well. The personal is political, as we all know.”
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She added that she was “sorry” to her fans who were worried about her and missed her.
“I just felt like we needed to take care of ourselves and make some hard decisions and follow through and now, as we’re getting settled, I was ready to post this and tell everybody what’s going on.”
“The Flintstones” star said she encourages everyone to “stand up, to use their voice, to protest, to demand that we follow the Constitution in our country and not a king, not a man and we don’t have cruelty as part of our governing style.
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“Protect your sanity as much as you can and try not to swim in the chaos if possible, but I know it’s nearly impossible when you’re there in the middle of it.”
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The comedian said she thinks about the U.S. every day, and “I am hoping that we can turn things around. I’m counting on you, all of you, to do what’s right. And I think deep down inside we all know what that is.”
