Some Americans who moved to Europe because of Donald Trump’s presidency told the liberal news outlet Wired this month that they regret their decision.
Five expatriates said they relocated to Spain, Poland, Germany and Britain before and after Mr. Trump returned to the White House last year, making the moves based on internet-fueled expectations of a liberal paradise with friendly people, free healthcare and ample work opportunities.
They said that few of these things proved true as they joined thousands of disgruntled Americans in an exodus to countries with fewer jobs, lower standards of living, and citizens angered by their failure to assimilate into local cultures.
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“Something I had taken for granted is the American outgoingness and default to action, where the question is ’how can we collaborate?’” said Sarah Wood Gonzalez, a journalist and consultant who recently returned to New York from three years in Spain and Edinburgh, Scotland. “Generally speaking, I also found that the American work style, for better or for worse, moves much faster and can get to a yes or no in less time.”
Wired noted that Kate Glavan, a twentysomething online influencer who writes about leftist politics, moved from New York City to London in late 2024.
She announced in a June 17 video on YouTube viewed by The Washington Times that she and her boyfriend, Henry, would be returning to New York after struggling to find work.
“Transparently, here in London, I probably have made like a fourth of the income that I could make in New York,” Ms. Glavan said in the video.
She said the average Londoner earns the equivalent of just $53,000 a year, despite living expenses being “almost comparable” to New York.
Multiple outlets have reported record numbers of Americans living abroad since President Trump started campaigning in 2022 for the nonconsecutive second term he won in November 2024.
Eurostat granted 80,424 first-residence permits to U.S. citizens across the EU in 2024, the highest since 2013 and up from 78,911 in 2023.
Britain, Spain, Ireland and Portugal also reported large jumps in their American-born populations last year.
There is no reliable estimate of how many moved because of Mr. Trump. Public opinion surveys cite a mix of economic and political factors.
One Harris Poll in early 2025 found that 42% of Americans considered or planned a move abroad. Among them, 49% of self-identified Democrats cited dissatisfaction with U.S. political leadership.
“The irony is that Europe is not a left-wing paradise,” Sarah Manavis, an American writer based in Britain, wrote in the Oct. 20 article for Wired.
Trouble in paradise
The other three American expatriates Wired interviewed asked to remain anonymous, citing fears of social media backlash from fellow liberals.
A woman identified as Annie said she and her husband moved from the U.S. South to the London area in late 2024 after viewing social media posts about the charms of British suburban life for Americans.
She struggled to obtain maternity benefits from Britain’s National Health Service while pregnant with her first child. The couple plans to move back to America next summer.
“I pay huge amounts of taxes and an immigration surcharge to access the NHS services — so no, the healthcare is not free here,” Annie told Wired.
She noted that British coworkers mocked her American accent, low salaries left the couple without disposable income, public transportation was pricier than expected, and dishwashers and dryers were considered “luxury items.”
“The quality of life is significantly lower than in the U.S.,” Annie added.
A man identified as Josh said he moved to Berlin in 2023 because of a post-COVID funk in his life and out of fear of Mr. Trump winning the 2024 election.
Josh expected a warm reception because he spoke German and had lived in the country before, but he struggled to find work and navigate a complex government bureaucracy.
“Once I was in Germany and had some distance from the situation in the U.S., I felt perhaps I had overreacted,” Josh said.
He said he recently returned to America after missing “the friendlier people, freedom of speech, and ease of daily life” here.
Nick, an art director from New York who wanted freedom from right-wing populism, relocated with his Polish-born wife to Krakow. He discovered a far more conservative culture than expected.
“What is happening in the U.S. is also happening everywhere now, to the point I’m even a little hesitant in what I say to you, or anywhere online,” Nick said.
The Wired article quoted a Reddit forum moderator who noted that American expatriates sharing their disappointment with life in Europe have been overwhelmed by nasty comments declaring that “the USA is evil.”
Multiple news outlets have reported that Americans posting online about their struggles abroad have been labeled privileged, right-wing, or “insane” for wanting to return to the U.S. under the Trump administration.
In one case, liberal commenters warned a mother posting about her struggles adjusting to life in Spain with a toddler that moving back to the States would cause psychological damage to her child.
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