Rosie O’Donnell Reveals She Plans To Remain in Ireland for Good—Even After Donald Trump Leaves White House

Actress Rose O'Donnell has revealed that her "self-imposed exile" to Ireland is likely to turn into a permanent relocation, even after President Donald Trump leaves the White House—as she opened up about her blissful lifestyle in the European locale.

The comedian, 63, revealed on Jan. 15 that she had quit the U.S. in hopes of a better, and more peaceful, life in Ireland, stating that she no longer felt safe in America after Trump was elected as president for a second time.

Over the next few months, O'Donnell—who has been embroiled in a decadeslong feud with the president—shared a few details about her new life with her youngest child, Dakota "Clay" O'Donnell, 12, revealing that they were residing in a rented property while she attempted to secure Irish citizenship for them both.

Initially, the actress suggested that their move to the Emerald Isle was only temporary, hinting that both she and her child, who is nonbinary, would return to the U.S. if and when a new president with ideals that mirror their own is installed in the Oval Office.

However, in a new interview with The Washington Post, O'Donnell revealed that Clay is so happy with their new life in Ireland that she has made a promise to her child to remain in Ireland for good, even after Trump's presidency comes to an end in 2028.

And, it's not just Clay who is happier in Ireland, O'Donnell is also feeling more passionate abroad, noting that she will be starring as a mother in an Irish sitcom this summer and has even been approached about doing a weekly talk show, a role that would see her returning to daytime TV for the first time in years.

O'Donnell noted that, while she is still regularly recognized by strangers in the street, anyone who comes up to her does so in a much more relaxed manner, allowing her to freely move about in public without concerns about her safety or well-being.

"She used to go from the car to the house quickly," O'Donnell's longtime friend, Jeanne Kopetic, told the outlet. "She was barricaded by security gates here in the States. Now she kind of comfortably just settles herself among the people."

Meanwhile Clay has quickly settled into their new school, where they are receiving special support for their autism.

Many of those in O'Donnell's inner circle told the Post that the move to Ireland has prompted a visible uptick in the comedian's personality, with some going as far as to note that her fixation on Trump and their longtime feud was beginning to take a serious emotional toll.

O'Donnell confessed that she still spends much of her days scrolling through the news online or posting on social media about Trump; however, she said she has been able to at least work on curbing that habit since her move.

Her brother, Eddie, described the move as "the best decision she’s made, I think, in her life, honestly," while her daughter, Viv, revealed how easy it is to see how much happier O'Donnell is—even when they're just talking on the phone.

"Before, I’d be like, ‘How are you?’ And she’d be like, ‘Yeah, I’m okay. Just another day,’ and then talk about the news a lot,” Viv revealed. “Now I’ll call her. She’ll talk about Clay. She’ll talk about how beautiful Ireland is. She’ll talk about work."

While the profile on O'Donnell marked one of the first times that her family and friends have spoken out about her relocation, the actor has been open about her move since January—telling The New York Times in April that she had begun making preparations to head to Ireland before the election had even taken place.

She admitted to the outlet that she "never thought" Trump would regain his seat in the White House, but that she had grown so anxious about the prospect, her therapist encouraged her to put a plan in place in case he came out as the winner.

She explained, "I never thought he would win again, but I said, ‘If he does, I’m going to move,’ and my therapist said, ‘Well, let’s make a real plan.’”

Those plans began with the renewal of both her and Clay's passports, she shared, noting that she had never considered herself much of a "traveler" so didn't feel the need to keep them up to date.

"I got my passport renewed, I got Clay’s passport renewed. My brother has his passport. All my cousins have their passports. But I was never a traveler," she said.

Though she is new to the country, O'Donnell said that her new environment still feels very familiar to her, noting that she sees "reflections" of her loved ones all around her.

"I see reflections of myself in this country everywhere I look, and reflections of my family and my very Irish childhood," she said.

O'Donnell noted that her family's roots have also helped her adapt to the culture in Ireland.

"We’re 100 percent Irish. Being Irish Catholic was a very big part of my identity, and coming back here does feel like coming home in a way that’s hard to explain or understand, even for me," she added.

Addressing the differences between the people in the U.S. and Ireland, she said the locals in her new home nation are a complete contrast to those she encountered back in the States.

She explained that they are "1,000 percent different than in the United States.”

When she announced her move, she said, "I'm here in Ireland, and it's beautiful and warm—not physically, it's actually quite cold," she said. "I moved here on Jan. 15 [and] it's been pretty wonderful, I have to say. The people are so loving and so kind, so welcoming. And I'm very grateful."

The comedian explained that she can apply for citizenship in her new chosen homeland because she has Irish grandparents. However, she conceded that she never thought she would end up leaving the U.S., where she had most recently been living in Los Angeles.

"I was never someone who thought I would move to another country, [but] that's what I decided would be best for myself and my 12-year-old child. And here we are," she went on.

Although O'Donnell said she has relished in taking in all of the wonderful aspects of Ireland, she confessed that she has often found herself missing parts of the U.S., specifically her four other adopted children: Parker, 29, Chelsea, 27, Blake, 25, and Viv, 22.

"You know, I'm happy. Clay is happy. [But] I miss my other kids. I miss my friends. I miss many things about life there at home, and I'm trying to find a home here in this beautiful country," she explained.

O'Donnell previously admitted that she would consider returning to the States after Trump leaves office and the country is "safe" again. She did not mention the president by name, instead referring only to what is "happening politically" in the country.

"And when it is safe for all citizens to have equal rights there in America, that's when we will consider coming back," she said. "It's been heartbreaking to see what's happening politically and hard for me personally as well. The personal is political, as we all know," she said.

At the end of the nine-minute video, O'Donnell apologized to her fans who were concerned about her and encouraged people to use their voice to "stand up."

"Sorry for those of you who were worried and who missed me. I just felt like we needed to take care of ourselves and make some hard decisions and follow through," she continued.

She encourages everyone to "stand up, to use their voice, to protest, to demand that we follow the Constitution in our country and not a king, not a man, and we don’t have cruelty as part of our governing style.

"And now, as we're getting settled, I was ready to post this and to tell everybody what's been going on."

O'Donnell previously sparked speculation about her move when she shared an image of herself and her child in a car on her Instagram account, which has since been made private, noting in the caption that she had recently purchased the vehicle and was getting used to driving "on the wrong side of the road."

"Bought a little used car to tool around the countryside on the wrong side of the road. Hit the curb three times—thought I hit a cat!" she joked.

The former TV show host has been embroiled in a bitter feud with Trump since 2006 when the two began a furious debate about his decision to show leniency toward Miss USA Tara Conner, who was accused of drug use.

O'Donnell hammered Trump as a hypocrite after he initially criticized Conner, before later U-turning, prompting the then-businessman to fire back, branding "The View" host "fat" and "a slob" in a furious tirade.

The pair's bitter spat then continued for many years.