Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Roseanne responds to Trump comments on her show's high ratings: 'It’s all me'

She stars as a Trump voter who clashes politically with her working-class family

Alexandra Wilts
Washington DC
Tuesday 03 April 2018 16:44 EDT
Comments
By supporting Donald Trump, Rosanne Barr is stirring up even more controversy than she did when her show was originally aired 20 years ago
By supporting Donald Trump, Rosanne Barr is stirring up even more controversy than she did when her show was originally aired 20 years ago (AP)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

While TV star Roseanne Barr may support Donald Trump, she found it laughable that the president is taking credit for her television show’s success.

In the reboot of Roseanne, which originally aired from 1988 to 1997, Ms Barr stars as a Trump voter who clashes politically with her working-class family.

When asked by TMZ about her thoughts on “President Trump taking credit for your ratings,” Ms Barr laughed.

“It’s all me,” the 65-year-old Emmy Award winner said with a grin.

After a nearly 20-year break, the sitcom in its first episode had massive ratings, drawing an estimated 25 million viewers.

During a speech last week in Ohio, Mr Trump praised the return of the show and plugged himself and his supporters.

“Look at ‘Roseanne’! Look at her ratings!” he exclaimed to the crowd. “Over 18 million people [watched] – and it was about us!”

Ms Barr has expressed support for Mr Trump in real life

She has been friends with the president for more than 20 years, she said, and received a congratulatory call from him after the show premiered last week.

The first episode of the new Roseanne centres around a sisterly political feud between the titular character and her sister Jackie, played by Laurie Metcalf. Roseanne – like the actress in real life – voted for Donald Trump while Jackie did not.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in