A number of Americans who relocated to Europe following President Donald Trump’s reelection say the move has not delivered the life they expected, according to interviews published by Wired magazine. The piece, headlined “They Fled Trump’s America. Now They Regret It,” profiles people who described seeking what they called political refuge after Trump’s second term began.
Most of those interviewed asked to remain anonymous, citing fear of backlash from fellow liberal Americans on social media.
Rather than finding the life they imagined, several described a lower standard of living, encounters with right-wing politics in their new countries, and a renewed appreciation for American conveniences and work culture, according to a summary of the Wired piece by the New York Post.
Healthcare and cost-of-living complaints
A woman identified only as “Annie” told Wired she had been drawn to the United Kingdom by idealized portrayals on social media. “There are huge misconceptions about access to quality healthcare, standard of living… the quality of life is significantly lower than in the US,” she said, pointing to lower disposable income and household items considered luxuries in Britain, such as dishwashers and dryers, that are common in the U.S.
She also pushed back on assumptions about Britain’s National Health Service. “So no, the health care is not free here,” she said, noting she pays “huge amounts of taxes and an immigration surcharge.”
Annie said she also encountered hostility toward Americans in the workplace. “I found it particularly surprising how people feel so comfortable mocking my accent and culture, even in a workplace environment,” she said, adding that British culture struck her as “very individualistic,” lacking what she described as the charity and helpfulness common in American life.
Career setbacks in Berlin and London
Sarah Wood González, a journalist and consultant who spent three years in Spain and Edinburgh before returning to New York, told Wired she missed American directness. “Something I had taken for granted is the American outgoingness and default to action, where the question is ‘how can we collaborate?'” she said.
Josh, who moved to Berlin in 2023 in anticipation of Trump’s 2024 win despite having lived in Germany before and speaking the language, told Wired his career expectations did not match reality. “Finding work was so hard, and the endless bureaucracy had grown worse since I’d left,” he said. “I missed the friendlier people, freedom of speech, and ease of daily life” in the United States, he added, saying that in Germany, “if you aren’t born and raised there, and don’t look German, you’ll never be fully accepted.” Josh has since moved back and said he may have “overreacted” in leaving.
Influencer Kate Glavan, who moved from New York City to London in late 2024, told Wired she struggled to maintain her social media income because brands she had worked with were uninterested in reaching a British audience. She announced her return to New York earlier this year.
Backlash for going public
According to Wired’s reporting, expats who publicly share regrets about their move often face criticism from other liberal Americans online, including accusations that they are privileged or simply not trying hard enough to assimilate. In one case cited by Wired, a person who said they missed their friend group in a “blue city in a blue state” and was considering returning home was called “insane” by many top commenters.
Economists weigh in
Wired’s figures show American migration to Spain doubled in the first quarter of 2025, alongside a surge in UK residency applications, with surveys pointing to the U.S. “political climate” as a leading motivator for relocation.
Daniel Di Martino, a fellow at the Manhattan Institute and an economist born in Venezuela, told Fox News Digital that many Americans hold romanticized ideas about European living. “Things aren’t always great in Europe, but Europe is not one thing,” he said. “Living in Greece, making the average salary of a Greek person, would be considered near poverty level in America. Living in Denmark, like an average Dane, is definitely fine, but they still earn much less than the average American.” He also pointed to Europe’s labor market rigidity: “It is very hard to fire workers, so getting a job in the first place is difficult.”
Theo Wold, a former White House deputy assistant for domestic policy during Trump’s first term, told the New York Post that the experiences reflect broader economic realities. “American liberals want to import European socialist ideas and wave after wave of third world immigrants into the US, but it turns out that in real life, socialism and mass immigration produce countries that are poorer, less productive, and less enjoyable to call home,” he said. “American liberals who moved to Europe are experiencing that firsthand… the European malaise is a real wake-up call.”
