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“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,” Trump wrote in a
social media post on Saturday. He added that O'Donnell, who
moved to Ireland in January, should stay in Ireland “if they
want her.”
The two have criticized each other publicly for years, an often
bitter back-and-forth that predates Trump’s involvement in
politics. In recent days, O’Donnell on social media denounced
Trump and recent moves by his administration, including the
signing of a massive GOP-backed tax breaks and spending cuts
plan.
It's just the latest threat by Trump to revoke the citizenship
of people with whom he has publicly disagreed, most recently his
former adviser and one-time ally, Elon Musk.
But O'Donnell's situation is notably different from Musk, who
was born in South Africa. O'Donnell was born in the United
States and has a constitutional right to U.S. citizenship. The
U.S. State Department notes on its website that U.S. citizens by
birth or naturalization may relinquish U.S. nationality by
taking certain steps – but only if the act is performed
voluntary and with the intention of relinquishing U.S.
citizenship.
Amanda Frost, a law professor at the University of Virginia
School of Law, noted the Supreme Court ruled in a 1967 case that
the Fourteen Amendment of the Constitution prevents the
government from taking away citizenship.
“The president has no authority to take away the citizenship of
a native-born U.S. citizen," Frost said in an email Saturday.
“In short, we are nation founded on the principle that the
people choose the government; the government cannot choose the
people.”
O'Donnell moved to Ireland after Trump defeated Vice President
Kamala Harris to win his second term. She has said she's in the
process of obtaining Irish citizenship based on family lineage.
Responding to Trump Saturday, O’Donnell wrote on social media
that she had upset the president and “add me to the list of
people who oppose him at every turn.”
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