American actress and comedian Rosie O'Donnell has made a startling revelation about the impact of Donald Trump's presidency on her family, claiming her autistic child is expressing fury at the former president for forcing their relocation from the United States.
A Life in 'Self-Imposed Exile'
The diehard liberal entertainer, 63, has been residing in what she describes as a 'self-imposed exile' in Ireland following Trump's landslide electoral victory over former Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election. O'Donnell departed the US in January, just days before Trump's inauguration, to build a new life in Europe with her youngest, non-binary child, Clay, who is now 12 years old.
During a recent appearance on the Jim Acosta Show, O'Donnell shared an emotional account of her child's reaction. 'My daughter is now saying, "Damn him. Damn Trump" and smashing her hand on the table,' O'Donnell stated, motioning a fist slamming down furiously. She added that her child believes, 'He made us move in order for our own safety. And it's now, he's destroying the country.'
Parental Concerns and Public Backlash
The former host of The Rosie O'Donnell Show expressed deep concern about her child inheriting her own political defiance. 'I don't want to give my defiance of Trump to my child,' she confessed. 'I did 22 years. I don't really need to do [it] anymore, and I don't want my kid to be so affected by it.' When O'Donnell noted that her youngest has autism, host Jim Acosta responded, 'But she recognises what's going on.'
O'Donnell's comments have sparked significant derision on social media platforms. One user on X criticised her, stating, 'Rosie can't even take responsibility for her own decision to move to Ireland. Her therapist deserves hazard pay.' Another user called her remarks 'bs', writing, 'She needs to take responsibility for her parental decisions. She has free will and she used it to uproot her family in a fit of pique.' A third commenter bluntly declared, 'Trump didn't make them move anywhere,' suggesting O'Donnell suffers from 'TDS' (Trump Derangement Syndrome).
Irish Life and Ongoing Political Tensions
Despite the controversy, O'Donnell reports having a 'wonderful' time in Ireland. 'People are so loving and so kind, so welcoming - and I'm very grateful,' she said. The longtime vocal Trump critic, who has four adult children from a previous marriage, is seeking Irish citizenship through descent and has no current plans to return to the United States.
The political animosity between O'Donnell and Trump continues to simmer. In a notable exchange, Trump questioned Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin about O'Donnell's presence in Ireland during St. Patrick's Day festivities in Washington DC, telling him, 'You're better off not knowing.' O'Donnell later expressed that she felt 'very troubled' by how the Taoiseach was treated.
The feud escalated when Trump threatened on his Truth Social platform to revoke O'Donnell's US citizenship, writing in September, 'She is not a Great American and is, in my opinion, incapable of being so!' This followed an incident where O'Donnell posted and later retracted a video falsely linking a school shooter to Trump supporters, admitting she 'did not do my due diligence.'
