Trump claims he is contemplating “taking away” Rosie O’Donnell’s U.S. citizenship because she has been a lifelong opponent, even though a Supreme Court decision from decades ago explicitly forbids the government from doing so.
“I am seriously considering revoking Rosie O’Donnell’s citizenship because she is not serving the best interests of our Great Country,” Trump stated in a Saturday social media statement. Continuing, he said that O’Donnell, who arrived in Ireland in January, ought to remain there “if they want her.”
Their public criticism of one another extends back years, even before Trump entered politics, and has frequently been harsh. O’Donnell has been vocal on social media in her criticism of Trump and his government as of late, particularly his signing of a large tax reduction and spending bill that the Republicans had endorsed.
It’s the most recent example of Trump’s threats to deport those whose opinions he has openly disagreed with, including Elon Musk, his erstwhile advisor and buddy.
Musk was born in South Africa, which is much different from O’Donnell’s background. Due to his naturalization as an American citizen, O’Donnell is free to live and work anywhere in the United States. U.S. citizens by birth or naturalization can voluntarily and intentionally abandon U.S. citizenship through certain measures, according to the U.S. State Department’s website.
Professor of law Amanda Frost of the University of Virginia School of Law pointed out that the Supreme Court’s decision in 1967 established that the government cannot revoke citizenship under the Fourteenth Amendment.
Frost stated in an email sent on Saturday that the president does not have the power to revoke the citizenship of a someone who was born in the United States. In a nutshell, our nation was built on the premise that “the people shall choose their government;” not the other way around.
Following Trump’s reelection as president, in which he beat Vice President Kamala Harris, O’Donnell relocated to Ireland. She has stated her intention to apply for Irish citizenship through her family tree.
“Add me to the list of people who oppose him at every turn,” O’Donnell posted on social media in response to Trump on Saturday, claiming that she had angered the president.