President Donald Trump admits he’s considering “taking away” New York-born Rosie O’Donnell’s citizenship in a controversial social media post. Black folks nationwide are outraged by Trump’s blatant disregard for the 14th Amendment, prompting the not-so-far-fetched question: “Are Black Americans next?
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To catch you up, Trump told his 10.4 million Truth Social followers Saturday (July 12) that “Rosie O’Donnell is not in the best interests of our Great Country.” He added how he’s “giving serious consideration to taking away her Citizenship” before calling her “a Threat to Humanity.”
Instead of good ole’ America, Trump encouraged O’Donnell to “remain in the wonderful Country of Ireland,” but that’s only “if they want her.” O’Donnell moved to Ireland in January after Trump won the presidential election. She vowed to return to America only “when it’s safe for all citizens to have equal rights.” Trump ended his message with, “GOD BLESS AMERICA!” Oh boy.
But can he actually do that?
The 14th Amendment, the cornerstone of civil rights in the U.S., declares that, “All persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.” This is known as birthright citizenship. Even those born on U.S. soil to non-citizens are considered citizens, per the Supreme Court case United States v. Wong Kim Ark (1898). Therefore, a president cannot deport U.S.-born citizens because it’s unconstitutional. Full stop.
“The president has no authority to take away the citizenship of a native-born U.S. citizen,” Amanda Frost, a law professor at the University of Virginia School of Law, told the Associated Press. “In short, we are nation founded on the principle that the people choose the government; the government cannot choose the people.”
It’s no secret Trump and O’Donnell, 63, don’t like each other. For the past two decades, the pair has exchanged insults and threats to sue. The “Exit to Eden” actress’ citizenship possibly being on the chopping block is the tip of the iceberg. Folks took to X to share their thoughts.
“If you can still defend Donald Trump after watching him try to erase Black history, defund education, cut cancer research for children, destroy DEI, bully colleges and universities that refuse to capitulate to his racist agenda, deport people with a legal right to be in the country […] you’re not just misinformed — you’re morally bankrupt,” one person said on X.
Even some white folks disagreed with Trump.
Trump’s social media posts about O’Donnell, who called out Trump’s “moral compass” as a “snake-oil salesman” on “The View” when she was co-hosting, was most likely prompted by her denouncing his administration’s signing of hefty GOP-backed tax breaks and spending cuts plan.
It didn’t take long for O’Donnell to clap back. Responding to Trump on Instagram Saturday, O’Donnell told the president she’s “not yours to silence [and] i never was.”
Her rant continued, calling Trump “everything that is wrong with America.”
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