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Rosie was miffed when Barbara did not come to her rescue in her war of words against real estate tycoon Donald Trump. Trump had told Larry King that Walters had said that she regretted hiring O'Donnell. Walters then told the press, "I'm sorry there is friction between Donald and Rosie. That said, I do not regret for one moment my choice to hire Rosie O'Donnell as the moderator of 'The View.'" She denied Trump's allegation, but never called Trump on his lie. According to Page Six, this is what peeved Rosie. During their altercation, O'Donnell allegedly said to Walters, "You went all around this and never called [Trump] a liar. You never said, 'Donald is lying.' You never called him a liar."
Page Six claims the fight began when Barbara attempted to hug Rosie when she first saw her on Monday after a two-week vacation. Rosie stepped away from the embrace and said, "You kept me in the newspapers this whole time!" When Barbara tried to defend her actions, stating, "I did everything I could to squash the story," Rosie, in turn, replied, "You didn't call me for 10 goddamn days, and you didn't tell me what you were going to say on television!" A New York Daily News spy also reported the fight. The source said, "Rosie had a very firm talk with Barbara. She told her in no uncertain terms, 'I hope you set the record straight.'"
In order to ease the tension between herself and Rosie, Barbara stood by her co-star as soon as the show opened yesterday, telling the audience, "Let me say definitively, everything that [Trump] said I said about [Rosie] is untrue." Trump, however, stands by his story. He said to "Extra," "Barbara lied, as she knows very well. She will have to live with herself."
Trump tried to increase the bad feelings between O'Donnell and Walters today by writing a letter to O'Donnell that was obtained by "Entertainment Tonight." The text of the letter appears below.
Dear Rosie,
I hope you had a wonderful vacation with your wife -- you needed the rest.
An article in today's New York Post, indicates that you blew up at Barbara Walter for being a 'liar.' Actually, I don't blame you, but in fact she lied to both of us! After your maniacal and foolish rant against me two weeks ago, Barbara called me from her vacation (I did not call her) in order to apologize for your behavior. She had heard that I was going to retaliate against you and tried to talk me out of it. She very much wanted me to go on the show as soon as she got back so that she could 'patch things up' (I said no). To be exact, she said that 'working with her is like living in hell' and, more pointedly, 'Donald never get into the mud with pigs' and, 'don't worry, she won't be here for long.' Barbara knows exactly what she told me over the phone and she has to live with it. Perhaps that's why her initial statement was so mild!
In another incident, when I saw her eating at Le Cirque about two months ago and asked how 'Rosie was doing,' 'she sarcastically rolled her eyes and said 'Donald, do you have to ruin my meal.'
In any event, you have a good reason to be angry. Please give my warmest regards to Kelly!
Sincerely, Donald J. Trump
P.S.
I was surprised that you let your spat with Barbara get into the newspapers, but, as I have always said and as you proved with Rosie, the magazine, you are very self destructive. You must work on this for your own good!
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