The impact of US president Donald Trump’s swingeing global tariffs are going to be “horrible for the world”, actor and comedian Rosie O’Donnell said in Dublin on Saturday.
Ms O’Donnell moved to Ireland three months ago, citing safety issues in the United States for herself and her 12-year-old son Clay, who has autism, following Mr Trump’s win in November’s US presidential election.
Ms O’Donnell was speaking at Malahide Castle where autism charity AsIAm held its annual Same Chance Walk, which aims to promote inclusion and raise funds for the group’s work with autistic people and their families. More than 1,000 people took part.
Asked about the impact of Mr Trump’s tariffs announcement this week, Ms O’Donnell said: “I think the impact is going to be horrible for the world. I think his policies are absurd. His presidency is disastrous for democracy and for the world at large.”
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Ms O’Donnell said she had no regrets about moving to Ireland despite the potential damage Mr Trump’s agenda could have on the economy here.
“I’ve never had one moment where I have regretted moving here,” she said. “I was aware of what he was capable of, and I was aware of what his plans were from reading Project 2025, which was available to every American citizen interested.
“It detailed exactly what he was going to do, and it turns out to be exactly what he has done. So I haven’t regretted for one moment leaving the country with my child who is a special-needs child.
“I was horrified that he has dissolved the Department of Education, which is going to affect children with autism and all kinds of needs in many horrible ways in the United States.”
On autism services in Ireland, Ms O’Donnell said that while she has only been living here for a short period, she feels there is “definitely” a need for more resources.
“Clay was in a neurodivergent school for the past four-and-a-half years,” she said. “There are a quite a few of them in Los Angeles. Most of the children attending there were on the spectrum in some capacity. It was a wide, wide spectrum.
“There was an average of eight to 10 kids in each class. Here, the schools that we have been going to it’s 30 kids.”
She said there is a “need for more autism placements” in schools in the US and “definitely Ireland as well”.
“There are many families,” she said. “As you know, they slept out this week in order to bring attention to the need for more placements for their children. My child was diagnosed at age two. So for the past decade, this has been the philanthropy I’ve been focused on.”
