Trump vs Rosie - Is it All For Publicity?

It's war! Or, is it promotion? You be the judge.

Donald Trump went on a public tirade yesterday, blasting Rosie O'Donnell from one channel to the next, while appearing on no fewer than five separate Fox News Channel broadcasts. But when the Trumpster speaks this loudly, there's a fair question to be asked: What Trump-hosted show is coming up?

Season six of "The Apprentice" bows Jan. 7, and while Trump mentioned the show no where during his on-air anti-Rosie romp yesterday, that may be immaterial. Trump also got in a much-publicized dust-up with Martha Stewart last February when a Trump-authored letter was leaked to Newsweek, in which Trump called Stewart's performance on her own version of "Apprentice" as "terrible" and "[lacking] mood, temperament and just about everything else a show needs for success." The letter was made public two weeks before the sixth season of "Apprentice" began, and received extensive media coverage as well.

So, Donald, what's the deal? Trump couldn't be reached for comment late yesterday, but his spokesman, Jim Dowd, said yesterday his anger was genuine, while confirming that Trump's lawyers had sent a warning letter to "The View" executive producer. Dowd added that Trump watched yesterday's edition of "The View:" "He was ready for the next step and then said, 'she backed down. I won."

During the show, O'Donnell cracked a couple of jokes - including the much-quoted line about her being "afraid to leave" home in case "someone with a combover came over and stole" her companion, Kelli Carpenter. (Carpenter also happened to be in the audience.) The turning to the camera, said she: "Here's my comment to him," and smirked.

Meanwhile, it just got stranger and stranger. Reacting to O'Donnell's anti-Trump rant on the Dec. 20 "View," Trump fired first yesterday on a Los Angeles morning show: "Ultimately, Rosie is a loser, and ultimately ["The View"] will fail because of Rosie. ... Barbara [Walters] made a mistake and let me tell you something, Barbara's a good friend of mine. She cannot stand Rosie O'Donnell." (Walters stayed above the fray, releasing her own statement, saying in part, "we cherish them both and hope the new year brings them calm and peace."

Appearing later on Fox News Channel's "The Big Show," Trump told host John Gibson, "I never went bankrupt, but more importantly, I was on the cover of Forbes Magazine recently. I don't want to talk abut money but I'm worth many billions of dollars." He added, "somebody had to stand up to her and I had a little bit of free time before Christmas."

And on her blog, Rosie wrote this: "i will let you know if the donald sues me/or if kelli leaves me for one of his pals/don't u find him charming."

Meanwhile, please check outtvzone for our own take on the Rosie/Trumpster feud.