Rosie O’Donnell Leads Calls For Protests As Trump Lands in Ireland

The comedian Rosie O’Donnell has backed protests in Ireland against the visit of President Donald Trump, with whom she has had a long-running feud.

“The country must protest—he is the antithesis of everything this country stands for,” O’Donnell told the Irish Independent ahead of Trump’s arrival in Dublin on Saturday.

After Trump's return to the White House in 2025, O’Donnell moved to Ireland where her ancestors hail from, saying she no longer felt comfortable living in the United States under his administration.

Demonstrations against Trump are planned during the visit in which he will meet Irish president Catherine Connolly, who is another long-standing critic of the U.S. president.

A demonstration will take place at the Garden of Remembrance in Parnell Square, Dublin at 1pm on Saturday with further protests planned at Doonbeg and Shannon Airport, where Trump will fly in on Saturday evening.

O’Donnell said Connolly must “speak truth to power” when meeting Trump.

When asked about Connolly’s previous comments which include calling Trump a “bully” and criticizing his support for Israel in the Gaza War, White House spokesperson Anna Kelly told Newsweek, “President Trump looks forward to traveling to Ireland this weekend.”

“His meetings with Irish political leaders will touch on bilateral economic cooperation, creating business opportunities for U.S. industry, and discussing international issues of mutual interest,” Kelly’s statement added.

The dispute between the pair started in 2006 when O'Donnell, then a co-host of The View, questioned Trump's standing as a "moral authority" after Tara Conner won Miss USA, the pageant Trump owned, despite allegations of underage drinking and cocaine use.

Since then, the pair exchanged barbs, which included Trump calling her a “true loser” on Twitter in 2011 and disparaging her on the 2016 presidential campaign trail.

O'Donnell has in turn attacked Trump's business credentials and condemned him in interviews and on social media.

Trump referenced O’Donnell in his meeting with Irish prime minister Micheál Martin in the Oval Office in 2025, telling him he was better off not knowing her.

O’Donnell told the Irish Independent that Connolly should challenge Trump when they meet.

“I don’t think she should drop what she believes in to be polite to a madman. He is like a mad king that has destroyed the country.”

“He has disgraced the office, and I don’t think he deserves any respect."

Trump will arrive in Dublin on Air Force 1 on Saturday and will then meet Connolly and the prime minister (Taoiseach) Micheál Martin in separate engagements at Phoenix Park where the president’s residence is located.

Trump will also meet U.S. ambassador Edward Walsh and then head to the Trump International Golf Links in Doonbeg, County Clare for the Irish Open, where he will stay until Sunday.

Speaking ahead of his visit, Trump’s son, Eric Trump told Irish broadcaster RTE at Trump’s golf club that his father “is willing to open his arms to anyone, and he is also willing to go head-to-head with anyone.”

"As a person who loves his country, I hope that the meeting goes exceptionally well, and that is what I expect, of course. That's normally the respect that you have if a person goes to the U.S. or if another foreign leader comes here.”

Contact Newsweek editor on this story: Edward Pearcey.