Rosie O’Donnell Takes Aim at RFK Jr During Fiery Final Night Hosting Jimmy Kimmel Live

Rosie O’Donnell ended her four-night run behind the desk at Jimmy Kimmel Live! with the same politically charged comedy that defined much of her guest-hosting stint. During her Thursday, August 20 appearance, the comedian turned her attention to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., giving him an unusual nickname while discussing COVID-19 activity in the United States.

Kennedy was not O’Donnell’s only political target. Her farewell episode also continued her decades-long public feud with President Donald Trump, with O’Donnell using several jokes and a musical performance to criticize him. The monologue quickly attracted attention online and was followed by additional coverage of the White House’s response to her week of jokes.

O’Donnell Gives RFK Jr. a New Nickname

O’Donnell brought up Kennedy while discussing reports about COVID-19 activity. She jokingly referred to the Department of Health and Human Services as the department of “Health and Human Sacrifice” before unveiling her nickname for Kennedy: “SpongeBob Smallpox.”

The remark drew a reaction from the studio audience, and O’Donnell made her personal opinion of Kennedy unmistakably clear.

Her comments came amid signs that COVID-19 activity was increasing in parts of the country, although describing cases as “surging in almost every state” goes further than the latest CDC national assessment. As of August 14, the CDC said overall COVID-19 activity remained low in many regions while increasing particularly in the West and South.

Rosie Was Really Filling in for Jimmy Kimmel

ABC’s official schedule confirms that O’Donnell was the designated guest host of Jimmy Kimmel Live! for four consecutive episodes, beginning Monday, August 17 and ending Thursday, August 20. Friday’s broadcast was scheduled to feature guests from earlier in the week rather than another new O’Donnell-hosted episode.

The stint represented a notable return to the talk-show format for O’Donnell, who became one of television’s biggest daytime personalities with The Rosie O’Donnell Show before later serving as a co-host on The View.

Her return also attracted considerable attention because of her history with Trump, a feud stretching back roughly two decades. The Washington Post noted that the two have publicly clashed since the 2000s.

Donald Trump Became a Recurring Target

Although O’Donnell barely mentioned Trump during her first night guest-hosting, that restraint did not last throughout the week.

By her final episode, she was openly joking about the president. O’Donnell introduced herself as “‘Nasty’ Rosie O’Donnell,” a reference to criticism she had received, and thanked viewers who had followed her appearances.

She also referred to Trump as “Orange Voldemort,” combining his familiar orange-themed caricature with the villain from the Harry Potter series. Entertainment Weekly and other outlets confirmed the nickname and her broader attacks during the farewell broadcast.

The White House Responded to Her Jokes

O’Donnell’s comments did not go unnoticed by the White House.

A White House spokesperson responded after jokes earlier in her hosting stint, calling O’Donnell a “nasty woman” and “total slob.” Rather than avoiding the dispute afterward, O’Donnell incorporated the criticism into her final appearance by introducing herself with the “nasty” label.

The exchange added another chapter to O’Donnell and Trump’s unusually long-running public conflict. Their feud became particularly prominent when O’Donnell was on The View in the 2000s and has repeatedly resurfaced through interviews, television appearances and social media.

She Finished the Night With a Song for Trump

O’Donnell saved one of her biggest moments for a musical segment near the end of the show.

Performing a parody based on the traditional Irish song “Danny Boy,” she delivered a series of jokes about Trump before encouraging him to leave office. The performance referenced everything from his appearance and polling to political controversies and public-health issues.

The Irish theme had additional significance for O’Donnell. She relocated to Ireland following Trump’s return to the White House and has discussed her life there during interviews and her Kimmel appearances.

Her performance concluded by turning Trump’s famous political slogan back on him, arguing that his departure would “make this country great again.”

The Guest Hosting Stint Put Rosie Back in the Spotlight

Whatever viewers thought about the politics, O’Donnell’s week behind Kimmel’s desk succeeded in putting the veteran comedian back at the center of the late-night conversation.

People reported that her Monday episode drew approximately 1.87 million viewers, making it the season’s highest-rated episode featuring a guest host at that point. The opening monologue also accumulated millions of YouTube views.

The response has inevitably prompted questions about whether O’Donnell could make a more permanent return to television. She has pushed back against speculation that she intends to take over Kimmel’s program, though her appearances demonstrated that she remains comfortable working in the talk-show format.

For now, her four-night run ended with plenty of attention. Between “SpongeBob Smallpox,” “Orange Voldemort” and her musical farewell to Trump, O’Donnell made certain that her temporary return to American late-night television would not be a quiet one.

Featured Image: instagram.com/rosie