Rosie O'Donnell guest-hosts 'Jimmy Kimmel Live' and turns down the heat, a bit

Rosie O'Donnell returned to the biggest forum on American TV Monday night, where bonfires are lit, feuds hatched, insults lobbed and FCC investigations launched — "Jimmy Kimmel Live!"— without once citing by name the one viewer who is invariably at the center of them all: President Donald Trump.

She did, however, end her 15-minute monologue with this line: "And, you know, right now he's in the White House crying because I haven't mentioned him."

The 64-year-old Commack native, back from extended leave in Ireland, began her weeklong guest-hosting gig at the show wearing a light pink suit embellished with floral appliqués and rhinestones. She also arrived on this stage hauling a whole lot of baggage, dating back almost 20 years to that moment on "The View" when she criticized Trump for not stripping Miss USA 2006 Tara Conner of her crown (Conner had admitted to underage drinking and drug use). The battle was on — and then went on and on — culminating in the 2015 presidential Republican primary debate, when host Megyn Kelly confronted Trump about his habit of attacking women with misogynistic language. The Trump riposte heard around the world: "Only Rosie O'Donnell."

But Monday night, O'Donnell chose her barbs more carefully, or at least weighted them with strong implication.

The sharpest was unmistakable. "I've been living in Ireland for the past two years because of Mango Mussolini. I read that Project 2025, [and said] 'got to get myself outta here!' I went to Ireland where people are driven to drink regardless of who's running the country."

Ba-dum.

It got gentler, sort of. She told the audience that she asked her 11-year-old not to tell anyone at school why they were in Ireland. "Pretty smart kid. They got it and went to school and told their entire class. [Affecting voice of Clay, who uses nonbinary pronouns] 'We were forced to move to another country because the president hates my mother. [Beat] But in all fairness, I believe my mother hates him even more.'"

O'Donnell then gave a little toodle-oo wave at the camera, followed by "I know you're watching."

He probably was, although as of Tuesday morning, Trump had not posted a response on Truth Social. 

Most of O'Donnell's monologue was of the stranger-in-a-strange-land variety, delivered while affecting a (pretty good) Irish accent. "People in Ireland are the kindest people I've ever met," she said. "It's been my refuge and salvation. To the people of Ireland, I send my love and I'll be home soon." The rest was devoted to school crossing guards, hall monitors, Irish drinking habits and a pharmacist she asked out on a date. (Punchline — She was married. To a man.)

And so on. It was mostly gentle, decidedly uncontroversial, with a hint of that old "Rosie Nice." There may be reasons, all of which you may easily deduce. Disney remains embroiled in a battle with the Trump administration over efforts to strip its TV broadcast licenses. Kimmel, now on extended summer break, was briefly suspended last September over comments about the recently murdered conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

After Kimmel came back, he turned up the heat on Trump. But O'Donnell is different: a living, breathing symbol of the president's personal animus, and a white-hot 20-year-old target. What will the rest of this week bring?