Embattled former talk show host Ellen DeGeneres has publicly thrown her support behind fellow comedian Rosie O’Donnell amid O’Donnell’s latest spat with President Donald Trump, signaling a rare moment of solidarity between two entertainers who have had a strained relationship for decades.
DeGeneres, who made headlines last year after relocating to England following Trump’s return to the White House, took to Instagram over the weekend to voice support for O’Donnell. She responded to a Truth Social post from President Trump in which he suggested the U.S. should consider revoking O’Donnell’s citizenship.
In his Truth Social post, Trump wrote:
“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.”
“She is a Threat to Humanity, and should remain in the wonderful Country of Ireland, if they want her. GOD BLESS AMERICA!”
“Good for you @rosie,” DeGeneres wrote in the caption of a post that included a screenshot of Trump’s remarks.
O’Donnell, who is currently residing in Ireland, responded with a pointed social media post of her own, writing:
“I’m everything you fear:
a loud woman
a queer woman
a mother who tells the truth
an American who got out of the country [before you] set it ablaze.”
The long-running feud between Trump and O’Donnell dates back nearly two decades, but the latest exchange drew attention not only for its tone, but also for the legal implications of the president’s statement. While Trump’s remark appeared to be rhetorical, legal experts and outlets such as Fox News noted that revoking the citizenship of a natural-born U.S. citizen is not legally feasible except in very narrow cases—such as treason or voluntary renunciation.
Interestingly, the controversy has rekindled a public alliance between DeGeneres and O’Donnell, who have reportedly been estranged since an early-2000s falling out. In a rare public comment earlier this year, O’Donnell told Us Weekly she had no desire to feud with DeGeneres any longer.
“I don’t want to fight against another gay woman,” O’Donnell said. “We’re just very different people… but I wish her the best. I seriously do.”
O’Donnell also called for greater unity among LGBTQ entertainers, saying, “There’s enough room in the world for all of the gay comedians, and we all need to stick together because gay people are the next group to be threatened.”
However, some observers found O’Donnell’s framing of the conflict through the lens of LGBTQ identity to be somewhat perplexing. Despite longstanding criticism from progressive figures, Donald Trump has historically and consistently signaled support for the LGBTQ community—with one of the most notable moments during his 2016 campaign, when he held a Pride flag onstage and pledged to protect LGBTQ Americans from terrorism. His administration also appointed several openly gay officials to high-ranking roles, including Ambassador Richard Grenell. Critics argue that characterizing Trump as inherently anti-gay oversimplifies the issue and ignores his actual record.
Seijah Drake was born in Boston, MA, where she developed a penchant for writing early on and a passion for politics in college. After college she worked briefly for a conservative media in New York before relocating to the Greater D.C. Area to pursue a career in political marketing. She now resides in the free state of Florida.
And we should care?
POTUS cannot take her citizenship away, she is a natively born U.S. Citizen. POTUS is dreaming.
“The U.S. government cannot take away the citizenship of a native-born U.S. citizen. The Fourteenth Amendment guarantees citizenship to anyone born in the United States, and this right cannot be revoked by the government.”
Those two should just join together, although I would hate to see what their egg fusion would end up being.