By Kitty Litter, Special to The Hollywood Beat
In the glittering annals of celebrity spats—think Joan Crawford vs. Bette Davis, Kanye vs. Taylor, or Garfield vs. Mondays—few have had the tenacity, volume, or sheer pettiness of the Rosie O’Donnell vs. Donald Trump saga. It’s the Hatfields and McCoys of the 21st century, except with more hair spray and daytime television.
The feud began back in 2006, when Rosie, then co-host of The View, criticized Trump’s decision not to fire Miss USA Tara Conner for underage partying. Rosie questioned his moral authority, his serial marriages, and—gasp—his combover. Trump responded in kind, calling her “a real loser,” “a slob,” and famously stating that if he were her husband, he’d tell her to “lose weight.” America blushed, then grabbed popcorn. A reality TV villain and a stand-up comic were trading barbs on national news. This wasn’t politics. This was programming.
Over the years, the barbs have continued. Rosie called Trump “an orange slug,” “mentally unstable,” and once compared him to “a hemorrhoid with a Twitter account.” Trump, never one to let a kindergarten insult go unanswered, responded by calling her “disgusting,” “a pig,” and possibly the only person on Earth he wouldn’t date—though that line may require fact-checking.
When Trump ascended to the presidency, Rosie ascended to CAPS LOCK. Her Twitter feed became a kind of post-apocalyptic poetry slam, filled with Trump invectives, ALL-CAPS demands for impeachment, and daily affirmations that she would never, under any circumstance, let her guard down. Trump, now with the full weight of the executive branch behind him, somehow still found time to tweet about Rosie’s ratings.
Some have speculated that the pair are actually secretly in love, trapped in an endless middle school cycle of insults and suppressed feelings. Others believe they’re just two deeply media-savvy personalities who know a good side hustle when they see it. After all, this feud has kept them both in headlines longer than some wars.
Rosie has gone on record saying she no longer cares what Trump thinks. Trump, in turn, has gone on Fox News to remind the world that he still very much does. Rosie blocks. Trump unblocks. Rosie rants. Trump Truth Socials. It’s the tango of two titans who refuse to sit down or shut up.
In a saner timeline, the two might have settled this years ago—maybe over a shared plate of mozzarella sticks on The View or in a televised mud wrestling match moderated by Anderson Cooper. Instead, the saga lurches on, fueled by social media, mutual disdain, and the unshakable knowledge that somewhere, someone is still watching.
And so we brace ourselves. Because when it comes to Rosie and The Donald, peace is not on the menu. But popcorn? Always.
