Trump and Rosie Trade Barbs

Jan. 10, 2007 — -- The Donald has struck again.

Barely an hour after Rosie O'Donnell and Barbara Walters united on "The View" to bash the real estate mogul's poison-pen letter to O'Donnell, Trump issued a statement calling Walters a liar and a "sad figurehead dominated by a third-rate comedian.

"Barbara Walters has taken the low road for the sake of her show rather than the sake of her morality," Trump said in his statement, accusing Walters of lying about her true feelings for O'Donnell.

"They didn't even have the courage to mention me by name. It was sad to see Barbara read her statement off a cue card. Rosie just pushed her out like a ('pathetic') puppet," he said, responding to Walters' calling him "that poor, pathetic man" on this morning's "View."

Trump also said he wished that Walters had never chosen him as one of her "10 Most Fascinating People" in 2004 and insisted that O'Donnell lied about the ratings for "The Apprentice."

A day after Donald Trump's now-infamous letter to Rosie O'Donnell, which threatened to drive a wedge between her and "View" co-host Barbara Walters, the two women united to lash back at him.

Walters called Trump "that poor, pathetic man" and high-fived O'Donnell on "The View" this morning.

As they came onstage and sat in their seats, O'Donnell quipped: "Well, he's at it again. How about that, Barbara?"

In his letter, Trump accused Walters of lying about her true feelings for O'Donnell. He also referred to reputed backstage confrontation between the show's co-hosts

On today's "View," O'Donnell then asked Walters: "You OK?"

Walters cooed back: "I'm OK, darling. You OK?" To which O'Donnell responded: "I'm OK, too."

Then Rosie asked: "What can you say about that guy?"

Walters responded: "That poor, pathetic man," to which the audience cheered and applauded.

O'Donnell said: "Sister friend, give me a high-five!" and reached over to high-five Walters. "He just can't let go, but we're moving on. The man is obsessed with me."

Then, O'Donnell took a swipe at the low ratings for the premiere of Trump's show, "The Apprentice," by saying, "And I'm happy to say, his show tanked. It did!"

The latest drama started when Trump fired off a scathing letter to O'Donnell at her "View" office Tuesday morning, blasting her and Walters.

In the letter, Trump referred to a report in the New York Post that described an apparent backstage confrontation between O'Donnell and Walters over the handling of the recent feud between O'Donnell and Trump.

The real estate mogul released the letter to at least one news organization, and Trump's office independently confirmed the letter's authenticity to ABC News.

Trump began the letter by expressing his hope that O'Donnell had a "wonderful vacation with your wife -- you needed the rest."

Then he went on the attack: The "article in today's New York Post indicates that you blew up at Barbara Walters 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."

Trump went on to claim that Walters tried to talk him out of taking revenge on O'Donnell and asked him to appear on "The View" to "patch things up."

He also said that Walters actually disparaged O'Donnell by telling him that "working with her is like living in hell" and "Donald, never get into the mud with pigs" and "don't worry, she won't be here for long."

After he described a reputed incident at Le Cirque restaurant two months ago, at which Trump claimed Walters told him not to "ruin my meal" by talking about O'Donnell, Trump ended the letter with a final jab: "Please give my warmest regards to Kelly!" He was referring to O'Donnell's partner, whose name, Kelli, he misspelled.

A spokesperson for Walters declined to comment on the letter. O'Donnell's spokesperson suggested that viewers tune in to "The View" tomorrow, telling the Associated Press, "It will be a great show."

Of course, this is just the latest salvo between the warring parties. From the moment it began with O'Donnell's comments on "The View" on Dec. 20, 2006, to yesterday's letter and Barbara's comeback, here's a recap of the feud:

Dec. 20, 2006:
After Trump announces that he would give embattled Miss USA Tara Conner a second chance, Rosie O'Donnell called Trump a "snake-oil salesman" on "The View," adding "Left the first wife, had an affair, left the second wife, had an affair. Had kids both times, but he's the moral compass for 20-year-olds in America," while mocking his voice and hair.

O'Donnell then predicted that Trump would try to sue her, but that "he'll probably be bankrupt by that time, so I won't have to worry" and later posted on her blog information on Trump's financial history from his Wikipedia entry.