Americans Reflect on Moving Abroad After Trump’s Presidency

Since 2016, various individuals, including numerous celebrities, have hinted at leaving the United States due to President Donald Trump’s policies. However, the number of those who actually made the leap is noticeably smaller. And among those who did relocate, how many genuinely found happiness or a better way of life? It seems that number is quite limited.

A recent article from Wired highlights the experiences of Americans who ventured to Europe following Trump’s second election victory, only to feel regret as their idealized visions of life abroad faded.

For instance, a left-leaning influencer left New York for London at the end of 2024 post-election but struggled to secure sponsorships, as British brands didn’t think an American influencer would appeal to the local market. She ultimately returned to the U.S. earlier this year.

Another individual, who aimed to settle in Germany, has since come back to America, where he feels a sense of belonging. His initial move was prompted by dissatisfaction with Trump’s second term.

“Once I was in Germany, and had some distance from the situation in the U.S., I felt perhaps I had overreacted,” he shared with the publication.

A different American woman expressed her disappointment with England’s National Health Service (NHS), stating, “I pay huge amounts of taxes and an immigration surcharge to access the NHS services—so no, health care is not free here.”

Then there’s a New York art director who fled to Poland in search of refuge from right-wing politics, only to discover that such ideologies are even more prevalent there than in the U.S. He commented on the universality of political tensions, saying, “What is happening in the US is also happening everywhere now, to the point I’m even a little hesitant in what I say to you, or anywhere online.” He described feeling trapped in Europe along with his Polish wife and young child.

Interestingly, an American transgender individual from San Francisco recently sought asylum in the Netherlands but instead found himself in a fenced-off immigration internment facility. Reports indicate that Dutch customs officers initially dismissed his claim, even laughing at him. “They laughed because: what’s this big dumb American doing here asking about asylum? And then they realized I was serious,” 47-year-old Jane-Michelle Arc recounted.

Europe, particularly France, is far from an easy place to be amid ongoing riots and social unrest. After years of unchecked immigration issues, cities like Paris are no longer the haven they once were for famous American expatriates like Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald. The same sentiment applies to other major cities like London, Berlin, and Brussels.

While spending a couple of weeks in a luxurious European vacation spot can be enjoyable, living there year-round offers a starkly different reality. Unfortunately, these naive and perhaps overly dramatic Americans learned this lesson the hard way.