Rosie O’Donnell Explains U.S. Return Despite Trump’s Threats

Rosie O’Donnell has been living in Ireland amid President Donald Trump’s current administration. However, during a recent appearance, she revealed she had actually made a secret return to the United States. During the conversation, she even shared a few recent developments in her family.

Rosie O’Donnell Had Previously Moved To Ireland In Early 2025

O’Donnell is a media personality and comedian who started her career in the late 1970s. From 1996 to 2002, she became known for hosting her own namesake talk show, The Rosie O’Donnell Show.

From 2006 to 2007, O’Donnell also became known for her role as a moderator on The View. During this time, she developed a public feud with future president Donald Trump.

In early 2025, she later moved to Ireland as Trump was inaugurated for a second presidential term. As previously reported, during their discourse, Trump had at one point threatened to revoke her U.S.-born citizenship status.

On February 13, however, O’Donnell appeared on Chris Cuomo’s radio show, SiriusXM’s Cuomo Mornings. At the time, she revealed that she had made a secret trip to the United States that appeared to fall completely under the radar.

Speaking with Cuomo, O’Donnell shared, “I was [recently home] for two weeks and I did not really tell anyone. I just went to see my family.” At the time, there were no social media posts or press alerts discussing her return to the country.

O’Donnell Also Described The Type Of Energy She Felt In The United States During Her Return

O’Donnell continued, “I wanted to see how hard it would be for me to get in and out of the country. I wanted to feel what it felt like.” This took place over a year after living abroad.

The star noted that, while she was living abroad, much of her family still lives in the United States. This had inspired the trip. She explained, “I wanted to hold my children again. And I hadn’t been home in over a year.” In particular, she noted that one of her adult sons was expecting his first child.

Despite her brief return to the country, O’Donnell shared that she didn’t regret leaving at all, saying she did what she “needed to do.” She also described the energy that she felt in the U.S. as “scary.”

As noted by People, back in July, Trump shared on social media that O’Donnell “should remain in the wonderful Country of Ireland, if they want her.” The former View co-host responded to this on Instagram, noting, “This is why I moved to Ireland.”

What is your reaction to this story? Have you been following Rosie O’Donnell’s recent shares? Make sure you come back to TV Shows Ace for all the latest TV and celebrity news.

John Witiw has been a writer since at least 2015. He’s covered a variety of topics, especially when it comes to film and television.

Latest posts by John Witiw (see all)