Trump Insists Rosie Will Be Fired

(CBS/AP)  Donald Trump fired back at Barbara Walters following her vote of support Wednesday for co-host Rosie O'Donnell.

Walters, who returned to "The View" from vacation, said on the daytime chat show that she never told Trump she didn't want O'Donnell on the show, as he has claimed. "Nothing could be further from the truth," she said. "I have never regretted, nor do I now, the hiring of Rosie O'Donnell."

Walters added, "She has brought a new vitality to this show and the ratings prove it. When she returns (from this week's vacation), we will all welcome her back with open arms."

But in an interview with Pat O'Brien on "ET/The Insider" that aired Wednesday night, Trump claimed O'Donnell's days on "The View" are numbered, saying, "Rosie just lies, and I think Barbara Walters who, in my opinion, is a great friend of mine but a great woman, I think Barbara will eventually fire Rosie.

" ... During my conversation with Barbara, she called me last week, she said, 'Donald, I've got to put up with it. I can't stand it. I hate it.' Now, eventually, she'll get rid of Rosie. There's no question in my mind, and I hope you save this clip because, eventually, Rosie will be gone from 'The View.' Rosie is a very negative force."

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Photos: Rosie O'Donnell
Photos: Tara Conner
Photos: The Donald

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For good measure, Trump added, "Rosie's a slob. She's crude, she's tough, she's arrogant, she's pushy, she's disgusting."

In her blog, O'Donnell didn't back down: "What happens when you say the emperor has no clothes? 'The Comb-over' goes ballistic!"

On Thursday, Trump and his 25-year-old daughter Ivanka appeared on NBC's "Today" show to promote their reality show "The Apprentice." Ivanka claimed O'Donnell is to be blamed for instigating the feud.

"I think it was unfair, it was uncalled for and, quite frankly, there was no reason for it," she said of O'Donnell's recent remarks, which include saying The Donald has been "bankrupt so many times."

"As my father said, she, too, has had a lot of second chances," Ivanka said. "You know, there's nothing surprising about the fact that my dad's gonna come back with a vengeance anytime anyone says anything negative against him."



In a phone interview with The Associated Press, Trump said he appreciated that Walters "did a retraction" on Wednesday's show, and claimed ratings of "The View" "are up because of people like me. Barbara fully understands what Barbara told me. At the same time, she can't say that, because she has to work with the woman. But she won't be working with her long. I mean, that thing will explode, because Rosie's wacko."

Trump hosts NBC's "The Apprentice," which begins its new season Sunday.

"Ooh, what a coincidence! 'The Apprentice" starts back up this week," media analyst Sally Stewart remarked to The Early Show national remarked Hattie Kauffman.

Kauffman observed that the ratings rise for "The View" and the possible boost the fued could give to "The Apprentice" aren't lost on either Trump or O'Donnell.

Walters took a moment on Wednesday's show to try to smooth things over with Trump, who got all riled up when O'Donnell said on "The View" that he had been "bankrupt so many times."

"ABC has asked me to say this just to clarify things, and I will quote: 'Donald Trump has never filed for personal bankruptcy. Several of his casino companies have filed for business bankruptcies. They are out of bankruptcy now,' " Walters said.

According to the New York Daily News, Trump's lawyers demanded a retraction.

O'Donnell and Trump have been feuding since he announced last month that Miss USA Tara Conner, whose title had been in jeopardy because of underage drinking, would keep her crown. Trump is the owner of the Miss Universe Organization, which includes Miss USA and Miss Teen USA.

The 44-year-old outspoken moderator of "The View," who joined the show in September, said Trump's news conference with Conner had annoyed her "on a multitude of levels" and that the twice-divorced real estate mogul had no right to be "the moral compass for 20-year-olds in America."

[hermit22]

and grammaMC you are teaching the kids to swear,is that helpful?

[vwhulbert]

Up until the other day I respected Donald Trump. I no longer do. He has been a respected business man who should have not stooped so low as to retaliate the way that he did. Everyone has a right to defend themselves but he went way beyond that in the way he viciously attacked Rosie O'Donnell's weight and character. She may have been wrong in part of her statement but right in others. She also walked away from a successful TV program not a failing one. Everyone has their faults and must live with them. posted by gardengal

[cesjc]

the donald continues to defend his wrong decision re second chance miss drunk beauty queen that just happens to look like his daughter???if daughter was fat what terms would he use and why isn't he giving Rosie a second chance since he believes in SECOND CHANCES?????

[teeus]

Agnim--What a load of garbanzo beans. "Young American girls" are not going to become lesbians simply because Rosie O'D is on TV.

Do you seriously think that's where lesbians come from? From "the societally worthless homosexual deviance that this perverted witch promotes"?

Peddle your homophobic diatribes somewhere else.

[graetz3]

Who cares??

[cfalsetto]

It's a shame two adults are acting like children, its even sadder that we have to keep seeing it on TV. I think there is more to news then seeing these two RICH people fight. They are talked about all the time........why should this be any different. They need to grow up! We as ADULTS should not have to see this kind of behavior by those two! They both have called each other names. Get over it! I have watched them both in the past years and used to enjoy them both. Seeing them on the TV so much now makes me not want to even turn it on and when they do come on I turn them off.

[andy4297]

Rosie just kick back and let Trump continue to show he is a rude fool. I never watched his show but, look forward more each day to see the view mainly because of you joining.

[hermit22]

Oh! Mama! The Twins are fighting again!

[samthetvcat]

Rosie's gotten kind of 'angry' the last couple of years so she's been picking on a couple of people lately (called Paris Hilton and Lindsey Lohan idiots, accused Kelly Ripa of being homophobic, etc) - if Donald had just made a joke about it and let the moment pass he would have come out looking like the 'winner'. Instead he keeps going on and on about Rosie being a 'fat slob' and a 'loser', etc and they just showed him on ET screaming at Meredith Viera on the Today Show . . . no matter how Rosie conducted herself at the outset, she hasn't come anywhere NEAR being as horrible as Donald is now - if he's under the impression that this is going to boost his ratings of the Apprentice, I think he's going to be sorely disappointed. I'm tired of watching him and his issues with accomplished women and am probably going to watch Desperate Housewives this time around - enough of this blowhard . . .

[fredeswinda]

Funny that Donald is ofended by what Rosie said about his hair (plus everything else). This guy is very intelligent when it comes to "building buildings" as he has mentioned 10,000 times in the last week or so, but he has a mosquito living inside his brain, actually, the mosquito died he was lonely, no ideas, no nothing to spend time with. The guy is an idiot who can only use same phrases "I'm a rich guy, I'm a very rich guy", Maybe that is what he's so worry about, that people would not "love" him anymore because he has no money! Well, we all know he does, but brainwise,00000. Very imature, a true bully.