President Donald Trump says he is considering “taking away” the US citizenship of a long-time rival: the actress and comedian, Rosie O’Donnell.
The move comes despite a decades-old Supreme Court ruling that expressly prohibits such an action by the government.
“Because of the fact that Rosie O’Donnell is not in the best interests of our Great Country, I am giving serious consideration to taking away her Citizenship,” Mr Trump wrote in a social media post on Saturday.
He added that Ms O’Donnell, who moved to Ireland in January, should stay in Ireland “if they want her”.
The two have criticised each other publicly for years, an often bitter back-and-forth that predates Mr Trump’s involvement in politics.
In recent days, O’Donnell on social media denounced Mr Trump and recent moves by his administration, including the signing of a massive tax breaks and spending cuts plan.
It is just the latest threat by Mr Trump to revoke the citizenship of people with whom he has publicly disagreed, most recently his former adviser and one-time ally, Elon Musk.
But Ms O’Donnell’s situation is notably different from Mr Musk, who was born in South Africa.
Ms O’Donnell was born in the United States and has a constitutional right to US citizenship.
The US State Department notes on its website that US citizens by birth or naturalisation may relinquish US nationality by taking certain steps – but only if the act is performed voluntary and with the intention of relinquishing U.S. citizenship.
Amanda Frost, a law professor at the University of Virginia School of Law, noted the Supreme Court ruled in a 1967 case that the 14th Amendment of the constitution prevents the government from taking away citizenship.
“The president has no authority to take away the citizenship of a native-born US citizen,” Ms Frost said in an email on Saturday.
“In short, we are nation founded on the principle that the people choose the government; the government cannot choose the people.”
Ms O’Donnell moved to Ireland after Mr Trump defeated vice president Kamala Harris to win his second term. She has said she is in the process of obtaining Irish citizenship based on family lineage.
Responding to Mr Trump on Saturday, Ms ‘Donnell wrote on social media that she had upset the president and “add me to the list of people who oppose him at every turn”.
