Rosie ODonnell is once again predicting the political and personal downfall of President Donald Trump, this time insisting he "wont survive that long" when asked whether she would return to the United States before the 2028 election.
The longtime Trump antagonist made the comments during an appearance on CNNs "The Lead with Jake Tapper," where she claimed the presidents "demise is visible" and leaned on unverified speculation about his health. According to Fox News, ODonnells remarks came in response to questions about her public vow to remain abroad until she believes the U.S. is "safe for all citizens to have equal rights."
Tapper pressed ODonnell on whether she would come back to the United States when Trump leaves office at the end of a potential second term. "When you posted about leaving the U.S., you said you might return when, It's safe for all citizens to have equal rights there in America. Does that mean that when Trump leaves office, presumably in January 2029, you'll come back or it depends on who wins the election in 2028?" Tapper asked.
ODonnell responded by openly questioning Trumps longevity and mental fitness, offering no medical evidence while invoking unnamed experts. "Well, I don't think, Jake, that he is going to survive that long," ODonnell said, adding, "All the medical doctors that you can get accurate opinions of what's happening to him because his demise is visible and apparent to everyone who is not willfully blind."
She then cited a recent verbal slip by Trump at this weeks NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, where he appeared to confuse Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky with Russian President Vladimir Putin. "I mean, he called Zelenskyy, Putin," ODonnell added. "He makes the kind of mistakes that you would forgive at Thanksgiving dinner, but you would never let grandpa cut the turkey because it might be dangerous because he doesn't know what he's saying."
Tapper joined in the mockery, highlighting another moment from the same appearance in which Trump appeared to refer to Iran as the "Islamic Republic of Japan." "Don't forget to refer to the Islamic Republic of Japan, I think, as well," Tapper said, amplifying the narrative of cognitive decline that has become a favored talking point among Trumps media critics.
ODonnell eagerly agreed, escalating her rhetoric by directly accusing the president of suffering from dementia. "Correct," ODonnell replied. "I mean, we can sit here and name them. There are so many obvious understandings of his dementia and how it's taking over."
Fox News Digital reported that it reached out to the White House for comment on ODonnells remarks, which amount to a public wish-casting of Trumps physical and political collapse. The White House did not immediately respond, but conservatives are likely to see ODonnells comments as another example of Hollywood elites casually dehumanizing political opponents while demanding "equal rights" and "safety" for themselves.
ODonnell relocated to Ireland in January 2025 with her teenage son after Trumps 2024 reelection, citing the political climate and her long-running feud with the president as reasons for leaving. Her move abroad has since become a political talking point, with critics noting that many celebrity promises to flee the country under Republican leadership rarely materialize, while ODonnell has turned her self-imposed exile into a recurring media storyline.
Trump, for his part, has not ignored the provocations, using his Truth Social platform to fire back at the comedian in characteristically blunt terms. "Because of the fact that Rosie ODonnell is not in the best interests of our Great Country, I am giving serious consideration to taking away her Citizenship," he wrote in July 2025, adding, "She is a Threat to Humanity, and should remain in the wonderful Country of Ireland, if they want her. GOD BLESS AMERICA!"
He later reinforced his criticism in another post that underscored his view of ODonnell as fundamentally hostile to the nation he leads. "She is not a Great American and is, in my opinion, incapable of being so!" Trump wrote in September 2025, reflecting the deep personal and political animosity that has defined their public feud for years.
Despite her relocation and harsh rhetoric, ODonnell continues to enjoy a platform in American entertainment and media, where her attacks on Trump are often treated as late-night fodder rather than extreme political rhetoric. In June, late-night host Jimmy Kimmel told his audience he had invited ODonnell, among others, to guest host his show during his two-month vacation, pitching the decision as a pointed jab at the president.
"I asked one of his all-time favorites Rosie ODonnell, to be here to keep the hits coming," Kimmel said, framing her appearance as a "special treat" for Trumps critics and fans of anti-Trump comedy. O'Donnell will host for a week beginning on August 17, according to Entertainment Weekly, ensuring that her feud with the president and her predictions about his "demise" will remain part of the media narrative heading into the next election cycle.
Fox News' Hanna Penreck contributed to this report.
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