Rosie O'Donnell has offered a new perspective on her decades-long feud with President Donald Trump, attributing part of the tension to their shared New York origins. Speaking to Variety, O'Donnell, who recently returned to the U.S. after relocating to Ireland following Trump's 2024 presidential victory, said their 20-year conflict has been fueled in part by their common roots.

"There have been so many comedians who have said things about him, but I am from the same area that he’s from," O'Donnell said. She noted that both she and Trump were born and raised in New York and that people sometimes tell her they sound alike, which she described as "probably the worst thing that you can say to me."

O'Donnell further characterized herself as a tough figure from her school days, recalling telling Trump, "Shut the hell up! You’re not playing with us." She agreed with a comment by When Bush that Trump is "obsessed" with her, adding, "he grew up with girls like me – tough, probably gay Irish girls who didn't take s— from no stupid rich boy wannabe."

The feud between O'Donnell and Trump dates back to 2006 when she criticized him on "The View" for his leniency toward a Miss USA winner accused of drug use and other misconduct. O'Donnell also claimed that she triggers a "PTSD response" in Trump.

O'Donnell's move to Ireland followed Trump's 2024 election win, but she has since returned to the United States.

Sources