Comedian Rosie O’Donnell declared in a recent podcast interview that President Donald Trump did not legitimately win the 2024 presidential election, claiming without evidence that Vice President Kamala Harris actually won. The longtime Trump critic, who relocated to Ireland after the election, made the unfounded allegations during an appearance on former CNN host Jim Acosta’s podcast.
Unsubstantiated Election Claims
O’Donnell told Acosta she was astonished that Trump returned to the White House and suggested his victory was illegitimate. She stated that she believes Harris won and referenced unspecified online researchers making similar claims. When pressed, O’Donnell failed to provide any evidence supporting her theory. She also suggested that Elon Musk may have somehow influenced the election outcome, though she offered no details to substantiate this claim.
Acosta, who hosted the interview, provided only minimal pushback to O’Donnell’s assertions. The former CNN White House correspondent said he found Trump’s victory hard to believe but claimed he trusts American democracy. Acosta then pivoted to express concern that Trump might attempt to steal the 2028 election, echoing conspiracy theories about future electoral interference.
Additional Conspiracy Theories
During the lengthy interview, O’Donnell expanded her speculation to predict that Trump would manufacture a crisis to cancel the 2028 election and remain in power. She suggested the administration might stage another assassination attempt to justify suspending elections. O’Donnell made air quotes when saying assassination attempt, implying skepticism about previous incidents. These predictions align with a pattern of conspiratorial thinking that has emerged among some critics of the administration.
Election Results and Historical Context
Trump won the 2024 election decisively, capturing both the popular vote and a clear Electoral College majority. He swept all major battleground states in his victory over Harris, becoming only the second president in American history to win non-consecutive terms. The White House responded to O’Donnell’s comments by directing media to a previous Truth Social post stating that O’Donnell is obsessed with the president. The feud between O’Donnell and Trump spans decades, dating back to her time on The View when she first criticized the real estate mogul.
