Rosie O'Donnell says Trump 'won't survive that long', questions if he will make it to 2028
WASHINGTON, DC: Comedian and longtime President Donald Trump critic Rosie O'Donnell has reignited her feud with the president by claiming she does not believe he will remain in office through the end of his second term.
During a CNN interview on Friday, July 10, O'Donnell argued that Trump's condition has visibly worsened and pointed to a series of recent verbal mix-ups as evidence for her claim.
Rosie O'Donnell says Trump's cognitive decline is now impossible to ignore and predicts he won't make it to 2028.
— Blue Georgia (@BlueGeorgia) July 10, 2026
"I don't think he is going to survive that long. His demise is visible and apparent to everyone who is not willfully blind." pic.twitter.com/0PYCy12c9N
Rosie O'Donnell says Trump won't live long
O'Donnell made the remarks during an appearance on CNN's 'The Lead with Jake Tapper', where the discussion turned to whether she planned to return to the United States after leaving for Ireland following Trump's 2024 election victory.
Tapper asked whether she expected to come back once Trump's presidency ended in 2029.
Instead of discussing the election calendar, O'Donnell responded with a striking prediction.
"I don't think, Jake, that he is going to survive that long," she said.
She added that, in her view, the president's decline had become increasingly noticeable. "His demise is visible and apparent to everyone who is not willfully blind," she said.
O'Donnell did not present medical evidence for her assessment, instead referring broadly to what she described as observations made by doctors and the public.
Rosie O'Donnell points to Trump's verbal slips
During the interview, O'Donnell cited several recent moments involving Trump that she argued reflected a decline in his public appearances.
Among them was an exchange during this week's NATO summit in Ankara, where Trump appeared to mistakenly refer to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky while speaking.
😳 Trump just flubbed his way through his meeting with Zelenskyy, at various points referring to the "Islamic Republic of Japan," repeatedly calling Zelenskyy "President Putin," and railing against the "JCPOC"
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 8, 2026
Here's the blooper reel: pic.twitter.com/rmpAeYR2TJ
She also compared the incidents to mistakes that might be expected from an elderly family member rather than a sitting president.
"Those are the kinds of mistakes you'd forgive at Thanksgiving dinner," O'Donnell said, adding that she believed they would raise concerns in other circumstances.
Jake Tapper also referenced another recent moment in which Trump appeared to misspeak while discussing Iran.
MOMENTS AGO: President Trump on Truth Social: “Maggot Hagerman has covered me incorrectly for ten years. Her book is a joke! 90% of it is Fake News. She has made a living off her bad reporting, and will pay the price when our Multi Billion Dollar Lawsuit against The Failing New… pic.twitter.com/Ujaqlvi5VW
— RedWave Press (@RedWavePress) July 11, 2026
O’Donnell relocated to Ireland with her teenage son in January 2025 following Trump’s 2024 reelection, pointing to the political climate and their long-running feud.
Trump claims he aced cognitive test again
Separately, hours after O'Donnell's interview with CNN, President Donald Trump said that he had “just finished” a physical at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, though he did not specify when the exam was conducted.
It remains unclear whether he was referring to a new checkup or the one he underwent in late May, after which he said: “everything checked out perfectly.”
In the same statement, Trump said he has requested another cognitive test, noting that he has taken similar tests three times before and “aced” them.
The president, who turned 80 in June, framed the request as part of his routine health assessments.