Rosie O’Donnell Criticizes Trump, Pays Tribute to Hayden Panettiere as ‘Kimmel’ Guest Host

“If you thought the president hated Jimmy Kimmel Live when it was hosted by Jimmy Kimmel? Buckle up, people!"

Rosie O’Donnell took over Jimmy Kimmel Live last night as guest host and used the opportunity to take aim at her long-time nemesis, Donald Trump.

“If you thought the president hated Jimmy Kimmel Live when it was hosted by Jimmy Kimmel?” O’Donnell declared as she kicked off Monday night’s episode, her first in a four-night stand as guest host. “Buckle up, people! Buckle up.”

She explained that Trump’s reign has been so bad it forced her to vacate the country. “I’ve been living in Ireland for the past two years because of Mango Mussolini,” she said. “I read that Project 2025 and said, ‘Gotta get myself out of here!’ And I decided to go to Ireland where people are driven to drink regardless of who’s running their country.”

She explained how her child responded to learning of their impending move. “They went to school and proceeded to tell their entire class, ‘I’m very sorry. I won’t be able to graduate sixth grade with you. I’m being forced to move to another country because the president of the United States hates my mother,'” O’Donnell recalled. “‘But in all fairness, I believe my mother hates him more.'”

Trump has disliked O’Donnell for decades, starting when she mocked his bankruptcy as host on The View in 2006. Although the host never mentioned him by name during her monologue, she did look at the camera at one point and quip, “Hi! I know you’re watching!” She concluded the monologue by noting, “Right now he’s in the White House crying because I haven’t mentioned him.”

Later during the show, O’Donnell paid tribute to Hayden Panettiere, who died over the weekend. She recalled how the actress had appeared on The Rosie O’Donnell Show multiple times.

“I’m just heartbroken over the passing of Hayden Panettiere last night,” O’Donnell said. “She was on my show many times as a little girl, and I got to know her as a grown woman. And she was so brave talking about mental health before people were really ready to hear about it, and very sad. My love to her family and friends, and she will be missed. Godspeed, Hayden.”

Earlier this summer Jimmy Kimmel announced a series of guest hosts to take over for him while he took a break. “I hope you’re paying attention this summer because I will be taking the next two months off,” Kimmel said. “This time voluntarily. But we have assembled a potent group of hosts to fill in for me, beginning with Tiffany Haddish, Colman Domingo, Ike Barinholtz, Anthony Anderson, Jelly Roll and, as a special treat for our commander-in-chief, I asked one of his all-time favorites, Rosie O’Donnell, to be here to keep the hits coming.”

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In response to Kimmel’s invitation, O’Donnell wrote on Instagram, “And I can’t wait!!!”

Last year, Kimmel joked that O’Donnell’s feud with Trump was longer-running than his own (fake) feud with a certain Odyssey actor. “This feud with Rosie’s been going longer than me and Matt Damon now,” Kimmel said.