Rosie O’Donnell didn’t have much to say about her nemesis Donald Trump on Wednesday night’s episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, but was sure to make one very pointed dig.
O’Donnell has largely steered clear of the president during her week guest-hosting the late night show, limiting herself to just a few barbs per monologue before moving on to other topics.
She opened Wednesday’s episode wishing viewers “a special hello to those of you watching from home and from the White House.”
“But I do have some bad news for President Petty Roosevelt,” she continued.
“That’s all I’m going to say about you tonight, sweetheart. You got to realize it’s time to hang up your wig and let Natalie tuck you in,” O’Donnell quipped, drawing audible “woahs” from the live studio audience. “Time to go nighty-night!”
The Independent has contacted The White House for comment.
O’Donnell’s joke is aimed at Trump’s relationship with his trusted aide, Natalie Harp. The pair’s relationship has been under scrutiny in recent weeks after it was reported that Harp, 35, was among a small group of aides chosen to accompany Trump, 80, aboard a military aircraft departing Turkey last month.
Harp reportedly helps manage Trump’s Truth Social account and handles a range of other administrative tasks for the president.
In a recently published book, New York Times reporters Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan reported that Harp was known to leave Trump, 80, adoring notes, including one that read: “You are all that matters to me.” The authors said they interviewed numerous Washington insiders for the book.
Haberman has also referred to Harp, a former One America News Network presenter, as Trump’s “binkie” and “comfort blanket.” Her estranged brother, meanwhile, has described her relationship with the president as “very unhealthy.”
The White House, for its part, has vigorously defended Harp.
“No president has cultivated as much loyalty among their staffers and administration officials as President Trump; this is a testament to his commitment to our country and its people,” a White House spokesperson previously told The Independent. “Natalie Harp is a beloved White House Official, and the Fake News Media will never understand what it’s like to be as trusted and admired as her.”
O’Donnell has earned rave reviews for her guest-hosting stint on Kimmel this week.
On Tuesday night, she skewered Trump’s claim that the Strait of Hormuz was a “new U.S. territory,” saying it “made literally no sense.”
Earlier in the monologue, O’Donnell even thanked Trump for the renewed attention he has brought to her career.
“This has been kind of a strange experience for me because all of a sudden I’m re-famous,” she said.
“I’m back in the spotlight, all thanks to President Oompa J. Loompa, who is watching us this evening from inside a catering cart,” she added, referencing Trump’s mode of escape following an assassination threat from Iran.
“You know, I couldn’t have done it without you, sweetie,” the host quipped. “You brought me back — just like you did with fascism and the measles.”
On her Kimmel debut on Monday, O’Donnell kicked off the show with a warning to Trump: “They said you can’t come home again, but here I am. And if you thought the president hated Jimmy Kimmel Live! when it was hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, buckle up, people. Buckle up!”