Rosie O'Donnell Fled U.S. Over 'Scary' Trump Presidency

Comedian says she doesn't regret leaving America to live in Ireland to 'save myself, my child and my sanity'

Published on Feb. 14, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

Rosie O'Donnell, the U.S. comedienne who fled America over her hatred for former President Donald Trump, says she does not regret quitting the U.S. and moving to Ireland. O'Donnell revealed that she self-deported to Ireland in January 2025, citing the 'scary' political climate in the U.S. under Trump. She recently visited the U.S. for two weeks and said she felt the country was 'a very different place' to her now.

Why it matters

O'Donnell's decision to leave the U.S. over her opposition to Trump highlights the deep political divisions in the country and the impact that the former president's tenure had on some public figures. Her comments also reflect a broader trend of some Americans, particularly those in the entertainment industry, choosing to live abroad to escape the perceived problems in the U.S.

The details

O'Donnell made her comments while appearing on Chris Cuomo's SiriusXM program on Friday. She said she 'did what I needed to do to save myself, my child and my sanity' by moving to Ireland, where she feels there is less 'celebrity worship' and a 'more balance to the news' and 'life.' O'Donnell admitted that she recently visited the U.S. for two weeks, but said the 'energy' she felt was 'scary' and that 'something is really wrong and no one is doing anything about it.'

  • O'Donnell self-deported to Ireland in January 2025.
  • O'Donnell recently visited the U.S. for two weeks.

The players

Rosie O'Donnell

A U.S. comedienne who fled America over her hatred for former President Donald Trump.

Chris Cuomo

The host of the SiriusXM program where O'Donnell made her comments.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“I did what I needed to do to save myself, my child and my sanity.”

— Rosie O'Donnell, Comedian (The Wrap)

“I've been in a place where celebrity worship does not exist. I've been in a place where there's more balance to the news. There's more balance to life. It's not everyone trying to get more, more, more. It's a very different culture.”

— Rosie O'Donnell, Comedian (The Wrap)

“I don't regret leaving at all. I think I did what I needed to do to save myself, my child and my sanity. And I'm very happy that I'm not in the midst of it there because the energy that I felt while in the United States was, if I could use the most simple word I can think of, it was scary. There's a feeling that something is really wrong and no one is doing anything about it.”

— Rosie O'Donnell, Comedian (The Wrap)

The takeaway

Rosie O'Donnell's decision to leave the U.S. and move to Ireland over her opposition to former President Trump reflects the deep political divisions in the country and the impact that Trump's presidency had on some public figures. Her comments highlight a broader trend of Americans, particularly in the entertainment industry, choosing to live abroad to escape perceived problems in the U.S.