Rosie O’Donnell Returns to U.S. for Visit After Moving to Ireland Over Trump’s Reelection

Rosie O'Donnell returned to the United States for a quiet two-week visit after spending more than a year living in Ireland.

The comedian and former talk show host moved abroad in January 2025 following Donald Trump’s second election win. In a recent interview on SiriusXM’s Cuomo Mornings with Chris Cuomo, O’Donnell said she kept the trip low-key and did not publicly announce her return.

“I just went to see my family,” she said. “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. I wanted to hold my children again. And I hadn’t been home in over a year.”

O’Donnell previously said she left the U.S. because of political concerns. She described it as “heartbreaking” to watch what she sees happening in American politics. She has said she would consider moving back only when it feels safe and equal for all citizens.

She now lives in Ireland with her 13-year-old child. Her four adult children remain in the United States. During the interview, she said she wanted to make sure it was safe before bringing her younger child to visit family this summer.

“My son is having his first child,” she added. “So we’re very excited to be home.”

While in New York for two weeks, O’Donnell said she felt the country had changed. She explained that she has not been watching American news or television since moving overseas, which made the return feel different.

“It feels like a very different country, a very different place to me,” she said. She described Ireland as a place where celebrity culture is less intense and where life feels more balanced.

“I don’t regret leaving at all,” O’Donnell said. “I think I did what I needed to do to save myself, my child, and my sanity.”

O’Donnell also spoke about security concerns that had kept her from returning earlier. She said she skipped her daughter’s college graduation because security advisers told her it might not be wise to travel back at the time. She claimed Trump could use her presence to energize his political base.

O’Donnell and Trump have had a long-running public feud that began during her time as a co-host on The View. In July, Trump posted on his social media platform, Truth Social, that he was considering revoking her U.S. citizenship, calling her “a Threat to Humanity.”

O’Donnell responded on Instagram with strong criticism of the president, saying her move to Ireland was partly due to her concerns about his leadership.

Despite the tension, O’Donnell said she was happy she made the move and feels at peace living abroad.