Americans Who Left the US After Trump's Reelection Are Now Plotting Their Return
In recent years, a significant number of Americans have moved to Europe in search of political asylum following Trump's second term. However, many are now either returning or contemplating a return, as revealed in interviews by WIRED. Annie, who relocated to London in late 2024, intends to head back to the US next summer due to the costs associated with the NHS and rising anti-American feelings. Josh, who settled in Berlin in 2023, has returned to the US, admitting he may have overreacted. After spending three years in Spain and Edinburgh, Sarah Wood González is back in New York. Influencer Kate Glavan, who moved to London in late 2024, announced her return to New York earlier this year. In Q1 2025, the number of US migrants doubled, and by 2026, Spain recorded its highest number of American residents.
Key facts
- US migrant numbers doubled in the first quarter of 2025 compared with the previous year
- Spain reached a record high number of American residents in 2026, per its National Statistics Institute
- American applications to Ireland's Foreign Births Register rose 63% between 2024 and 2025, the Financial Times reported
- UK residency applications from the US between January and March 2025 were the highest since records began in 2004
- 71 percent of 58,000 respondents in an Expatsi report cited US politics as a reason to relocate
- Annie moved from the southern US to a town outside London in late 2024 and plans to return in summer next year
- Josh moved to Berlin in 2023 and has since returned to the US
- Influencer Kate Glavan moved from New York to London in late 2024 and announced her return to New York earlier this year
Entities
Artists
- Annie
- Sarah Wood González
- Josh
- Kate Glavan
- Jen Barnett
- Nick
- Ellen DeGeneres
- Portia de Rossi
- Rosie O'Donnell
- Courtney Love
- Giorgia Meloni
Institutions
- WIRED
- National Health Service
- National Statistics Institute
- Financial Times
- Expatsi
- Expatsi Go
- r/expats
- r/GoingToSpain
- r/AmericanExpatsUK
- r/AmerExit
- UK Home Office
- Foreign Births Register
Locations
- United States
- United Kingdom
- London
- Spain
- Greece
- Portugal
- Ireland
- New York
- Edinburgh
- Scotland
- Berlin
- Germany
- Poland
- Krakow
- Italy