Rosie O’Donnell and Donald Trump have spent nearly two decades trading insults. But the comedian’s latest comments may be among her harshest yet.
What should have been a routine red-carpet appearance quickly became a headline-making political broadside. Before the night was over, she had accused the president of everything from dishonesty to behavior she claimed aides and supporters routinely ignore.
Appearing on the red carpet at the 2026 Tony Awards in New York City, O’Donnell returned to the United States from Ireland and immediately reignited her long-running feud with the president, according to Entertainment Weekly. What started as a routine entertainment interview quickly turned into a blistering political takedown that had social media buzzing.
The 64-year-old actress did not hold back.
Speaking with reporters, O’Donnell described the current political climate as “horrific.”
“If you grew up in New York, you knew he was an assh-le and a liar from day one, and I am 64 years old. My whole life, there were so many planes repossessed off the runways at LaGuardia. I remember when he was broke,” the comic told a Variety reporter that night.
She added, “I remember when he would call up places and pretend to be his own publicist. He is the con man. He is a narcissist, and he is a psychopath, if you ask me. How do you think he’ll be greeted at MSG tomorrow night with a lot of booze? I’m happy to hear it.”
But those labels were not the comments grabbing the most attention.
O’Donnell also mocked Trump’s public appearances. She referenced moments when critics claim the president appears sleepy during events. She joked about incidents involving Trump allegedly passing gas in public settings, saying people around him react with disgust while pretending nothing happened. She also ridiculed one of his past remarks, quipping that only young children would be impressed by it.
For longtime observers, the outburst was familiar.
The Trump-O’Donnell feud began in 2006 after O’Donnell criticized Trump’s handling of the Miss USA controversy while co-hosting “The View.”
Trump responded with personal attacks, and the hostility intensified during his presidential campaigns, making it one of the longest-running celebrity feuds in American politics.
Their rivalry produced one of the most memorable moments of the 2016 Republican primary debate. When moderator Megyn Kelly confronted Trump about derogatory comments toward women, he famously replied, “Only Rosie O’Donnell.”
At the Tonys, O’Donnell suggested New Yorkers have always known who Trump really is. She recalled periods when his businesses struggled, accused him of posing as his own publicist, and argued that many New Yorkers viewed him skeptically long before he entered politics.
The comments quickly spread across social media. Supporters praised O’Donnell for saying what they believed.
“New Yorker here… She’s NOT wrong,” one person wrote. Another user posted, “Rosie has always been right about Trump and my opinion any self respecting woman that supports him has TDS.”
“Native New Yorkers hate that piece of s—t. And I hate his dumb as f—k supporters 1000 times as much, because they are f—king idiots,” one commenter wrote.
Others pushed back.
One user argued, “Everyone loved him before he became President.”
Someone else added, “I didn’t grow up in NYC and I saw him being a piece of s—t like when he would call radio stations and say he was someone else. He is one screwed up person.”
Another person wrote about her, “I grew up in NY and she is the assh-le.”
The Tony Awards appearance came amid another emotional chapter in O’Donnell’s battle with Trump.
Earlier this year, the actress revealed she missed her daughter’s college graduation because security advisers warned her against returning to the United States. The “Hairspray” actress claimed experts feared she could become a target because of Trump’s repeated public attacks.
“My daughter graduated college and I didn’t go back,” O’Donnell explained, saying her people warned returning was not wise.
That revelation sparked widespread debate online.
Some sympathized with her concerns. Others accused her of exaggerating the threat. Either way, the story renewed attention on the extraordinary nature of her conflict with the president.
O’Donnell has also expanded her criticism beyond Trump himself.
Recently, she made headlines after posting a blunt message aimed at Kristi Noem. The three-word post attacking the then-Homeland Security secretary generated another wave of discussion, with supporters arguing that her criticism reflected broader frustration with Trump’s administration.
Meanwhile, Trump has shown little interest in ending the feud. According to reports, he recently floated the idea of revoking the comic’s citizenship, a suggestion legal experts quickly dismissed as unconstitutional.
Yet O’Donnell appears unfazed. After relocating to Ireland following Trump’s return to office, she has repeatedly cited concerns about the political climate. She maintains she may return permanently only when she believes America is safe and equitable for all.
Her Tony Awards appearance proved that distance has done little to cool one of America’s most famous celebrity feuds.
