Had to dress up for her return to the United States.
There were a lot of celebrities who promised to flee the country if Donald Trump won re-election in 2024, but of course most of them are still here two years into his second presidency.
In fact, one of the only celebrities who made good on their promise to leave the United States was Rosie O’Donnell.
Last year, the former actress and washed up talk show host revealed that she moved to Ireland just a few days before President Trump’s inauguration:
“I moved here on January 15th 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. … 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…
I encourage 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.”
Of course, Rosie and Trump have an ongoing feud that long predates his presidency: While she was a co-host of The View, Rosie criticized Trump for not removing the title of Miss USA from Tara Conner after a scandal involving her drug use, calling Trump a “snake oil salesman,” claiming that he’s “not a self-made man,” and bashing him for his multiple marriages, ending her rant with a message for the future president:
“Donald, sit and spin, my friend.”
Trump obviously didn’t take kindly to the remarks, calling Rosie a “real loser” and threatening to sue her for defamation:
“I look forward to taking lots of money from my nice fat little Rosie.”
The two then went back and forth on Twitter for years, with Rosie often drawing criticism and insults from Trump:
And then of course there was the infamous moment during the presidential debate in 2015 when Trump was asked by Megyn Kelly about his comments on women:
So yeah, no love lost between these two, and Trump wasn’t too sad to see her go – even roasting her to the Irish Prime Minister last year during a meeting in the Oval Office:
Rosie had previously said that wouldn’t rule out returning to the United States “when it is safe for all citizens to have equal rights there in America.” And apparently that time has come, because last night she made her return not only to the country but to late night television as the guest host of Jimmy Kimmel Live!
There’s no doubt that having Rosie as the guest host was a deliberate shot at the president, who has frequently criticized Kimmel’s show and questioned how it remains on air. So Rosie took some time during her monologue to address Trump directly, saying that she moved to Ireland to escape “Mango Mussolini” and giving the president a personal shoutout:
“Hi, I know you’re watching.”
So yeah, no real question as to why they had her on: It was to troll the president. But unfortunately for Rosie, that’s not the reason she’s going viral.
After appearing on stage for the monologue in a bright pink sequined suit, many online quickly began pointing out that she was dressed just like…late country legend Porter Wagoner:
Wagoner was, of course, known for his rhinestone-encrusted Nudie suits, designed by legendary tailor Nudie Cohn. The brilliant suits became a signature of many artists, including Hank Williams and Elvis, and came to define country and western culture in the early 1960s. Today, the tradition is carried on by new legends like Manuel Cuevas, the tailor to the stars here in Nashville.
Now, I don’t know if Rosie got her suit from Nudie’s shop (which is now operated by his granddaughter Jamie Nudie), but the similarities to Wagoner’s iconic suits didn’t go unnoticed – or unmocked – by the internet:
The ghost of Porter Wagoner wants his suit back!
— Dale Webb (@dale_webb52) August 18, 2026
She got it from Porter Wagoner 🤣 pic.twitter.com/lWT0mNLJzO
— Hazel Santos (@HazelSanto37286) August 18, 2026
The bulldog needs to give Porter Wagoner his suit back. Nudie Cohn is rolling over in his grave🙄 pic.twitter.com/1buc6YL6xf
— MsAmericanAF (@MsAmericanAF) August 18, 2026
In fact, so many people were roasting Rosie about it that Porter’s name was at one point trending on Twitter.
I guess she’s getting the attention she wanted. Welcome back, Por…I mean, Rosie.
