The Late Late Show crowd broke into applause as Rosie O'Donnell branded Conor McGregor's visit to the White House as "very depressing".
McGregor made headlines as he visited Donald Trump in the Oval Office on St Patrick's Day. The UFC star took questions from American media, where he spoke about Ireland's immigration policy, sparking responses from Irish political figures, including Taoiseach Micheal Martin and Tanaiste Simon Harris.
TV talk show host Rosie O'Donnell appeared on Friday's Late Late Show, where she gave her opinion on all things Donald Trump and was asked about McGregor's visit to the White House.
"Very depressing," she told host Patrick Kielty.
"It's strange to me that the President of the United States has so many friends who are sexual abusers."
O'Donnell was met with a round of applause from the Late Late Show crowd after she referenced a recent high court case in which McGregor was ordered to pay Nikita Hand nearly €250,000 in Damages. US President Donald Trump has also been subject to multiple sexual assault allegations, which he denies.
"I think it says that we're in trouble," she continued.
"The foundation of our country is a melting pot of people all created equal and that they are to pursue life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
"That is what we were promised as Americans, and to think that cruelty and lack of empathy is a value sprouted from the highest office in our country is overwhelmingly sad to me personally, and it felt like way too much to take as well emotionally."
O'Donnell and Trump have a high-profile dislike of each other. The US President recently namechecked the presenter in Michael Martin's recent visit to the Oval Office while also using her name in previous political debates. O'Donnell has moved to Ireland following Trump's election.
McGregor's recent visit to the White House has seen the Dubliner ramp up talk of a Presidential run of his own but it looks increasingly unlikely.
To run for the presidency, McGregor would need to either be nominated by at least 20 members of the Oireachtas (TDs or Senators) or by at least four local authorities (county or city councils).
Professor of Politics at DCU Gary Murphy explained on Friday morning how the MMA fighter has very little chance of achieving either of those things.
"He probably looks at Donald Trump and says he had a career basically in the media and then became President and that his MMA career is all but over I suspect and he's probably looking for the next step, but it would be, I think, almost impossible for him to get on the ballot," he told Today With Claire Byrne on RTE Radio 1.
"There are certainly not 20 members of the Oireachtas in my view who would vote for him and the County Councils are being dominated by Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and the soft left."
For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.
English (United States) ·