By Defense Secretary Pete,Frank Yemi
Copyright inquisitr
Rosie O’Donnell is back with more political commentary, blasting President Donald Trump over his latest plan to send federal troops into Portland. In a 10-minute ‘Sunday ramble’ on TikTok, the comedian delivered a blunt warning, “We’re onto you,” as she railed against what she framed as a manufactured crisis meant to justify a military show of force ahead of November. The video landed just as Oregon officials confirmed the Pentagon has authorized 200 National Guard troops to operate under federal control in the state, a move that’s already triggered an immediate legal fight in federal court.
O’Donnell, who has feuded with Trump for years, tied her critique to the president’s weekend announcement that he was sending forces to protect federal immigration facilities in Portland, a city he again painted as under siege. The decision, approved by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, places Guard members on federal orders for up to 60 days and mirrors Trump’s broader push to use military resources in Democrat-run cities. Oregon’s Democratic leadership, including Gov. Tina Kotek and Attorney General Dan Rayfield, calls the deployment unlawful and politically motivated, pointing out that local conditions are calm and already covered by local law enforcement. The state sued within hours.
What gave O’Donnell’s takedown extra sting is that she’s literally moved her life overseas in protest of Trump’s politics. Earlier this year, she revealed she had relocated to Ireland and is pursuing citizenship through her family heritage, a choice she’s described as a protective move for herself and her child. The relocation became a talking point when Trump threatened, on social media, to take away O’Donnell’s U.S. citizenship, an idea legal experts widely dismissed, but one that reignited their long-simmering feud and kept her squarely in his crosshairs.
In her new video, O’Donnell characterizes the Portland move as part of Trump’s playbook: exaggerate the threat, roll out troops, and dare critics to push back. Oregon leaders say the facts don’t match the “war zone” rhetoric, and the lawsuit argues the president is overstepping by federalizing state Guard members without a genuine emergency.
The Pentagon, caught off-guard by the political blowback, is now navigating the optics of deploying soldiers to a city where crime is trending down and protests are mostly small-scale, according to local officials. The legal questions, how far a president can go in federalizing Guard units for domestic policing, could now land before a judge on an expedited basis.
O’Donnell’s message also nods to history: Portland was a flashpoint in 2020, when federal agents clashed with protesters around a downtown courthouse. Trump’s orders, critics say, revives the same tactics, and the same political incentives, while risking fresh confrontations between federally controlled troops and civilians. For Trump’s allies, the deployment is framed as necessary to protect federal property and personnel from “domestic terrorists.” For O’Donnell, it’s proof the president is, once again, trying to bend the country to his chaos.
Whether the Guard actually hits Portland’s streets, and under what rules, may hinge on what happens in court this week. But O’Donnell’s warning shot ensured the cultural fight arrived ahead of the legal rulings. From her new base in Ireland, she’s betting that calling out the move publicly, is its own form of resistance.
