Rosie O'Donnell has issued an apology to country music icon Wynonna Judd after incorrectly labeling the singer a supporter of Donald Trump. The friction stemmed from a performance Judd gave at a Florida resort,though the singer maintains she is an independent.
The November 2023 Mar-a-Lago performance that sparked the mixup
The tension began when Rosie O'Donnell assumed Wynonna Judd was a political ally of Donald Trump based on a specific appearance.. According to TMZ, Rosie O'Donnell believed the country star's political leanings were clear because Wynonna Judd performed at Mar-a-Lago, the Palm Beach resort owned by the former president,in November 2023. That specific event was a conference for the America First Policy Institute, a conservative think tank.
Wynonna Judd, a Country Music Hall of Fame inductee, has since pushed back against this characterization. as TMZ reported, Judd expressed confusion over why Rosie O'Donnell mentioned her political views at all, stating that she is an independent and has never actually discussed politics with O'Donnell. While Judd acknowledged the performance at the conservative event, she has otherwise kept her personal political beliefs private from the public eye.
Donald Trump's threat to revoke Rosie O'Donnell's citizenship
This public apology occurs against the backdrop of an escalating conflict between Rosie O'Donnell and Donald Trump. The 79-year-old former president recently calimed he was giving serious consideration to revoking the citizenship of the 64-year-old O'Donnell. Donald Trump justified this unusual threat by asserting that Rosie O'Donnell is not acting in the best interests of the United States.
The feud between Donald Trump and Rosie O'Donnell is a long-standing rivalry that has spanned several years. While the threat of citizenship revocation is an extreme escalation, it reflects the deep personal animosity that has defined their interactions across multiple election cycles.
A move to Ireland and the UFC Freedom 250 criticism
The political climate in the U.S. eventually led Rosie O'Donnell to relocate her life abroad. In January 2025,Rosie O'Donnell announced that she had moved to Ireland, later telling TMZ that leaving the country was the best course of action until the political situation stabilized. O'Donnell has since claimed that support for Donald Trump has diminished, citing empty state fairs as evidence that American citizens have "woken up."
Beyond her relocation, Rosie O'Donnell has continued to target the former president's public appearances. In an interview published on June 15, Rosie O'Donnell described Donald Trump's appearance at a UFC Freedom 250 event at the White House as "disgraceful and embarrassing." She further criticized the voters who support him, alleging that they perpetuate racist rhetoric.
A friendship since the 1990s and the mystery of the political assumption
The relationship between Rosie O'Donnell and Wynonna Judd dates back to the 1990s, when Judd was a recurring guest on O'Donnell's daytime talk show. the two shared a close bond, even performing a comedic sketch where Rosie O'Donnell pretended to be the long-lost sister of Wynonna Judd. despite the recent public mixup, Wynonna Judd stated she still cares for O'Donnell and believes in separating personal affection from political differences.
However, several questions remain regarding the nature of this public fallout. It is unclear why Rosie O'Donnell felt the need to publicly speculate on Wynonna Judd's politics when, by Judd's own account, the two had never discussed the topic. Furthermore, it remains to be seen if Donald Trump will attempt any legal mechanism to follow through on his threat to revoke Rosie O'Donnell's citizenship, or if the comment was merely rhetorical. Finally, the source does not clarify if Wynonna Judd views her performance for the America First Policy Institute as consistent with her identity as an independent.
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