More Americans than ever want to leave the United States

For some American citizens, Trump's presidential victory was the pretext to seriously consider the idea of leaving the country. It’s not an entirely new phenomenon, but with the latest election it seems to have gained new relevance. CNN reports the story of a person who had already considered leaving the country in 2016, when Trump was first elected, but only found the determination to do so in 2025 – moving to live in Paris. After the elections, various relocation consulting services in the United States reported a significant increase in inquiries. The site Bureaucracy.es, specialized in assisting those who want to live in Spain, declared an increase of over 300% in consultations to obtain a visa. The portal Welcome to Portugal also noticed a spike in web traffic coming from the United States after Trump’s election.

The founder of Expatsi – a company that helps American citizens navigate the process of relocating abroad – also speaks of a collective increase in interest: in the ten months prior to the election, about 60,000 people had completed the test offered by the platform to identify the most suitable country for their needs, while in the few days after the vote, over 48,000 new users completed the same questionnaire. Even among Hollywood’s most recognizable faces, Trump’s re-election prompted a wave of relocations. Singer-songwriter Courtney Love is trying to obtain British citizenship, while TV host Ellen DeGeneres and her wife Portia de Rossi have reportedly already moved – at least temporarily – to the United Kingdom. Actors Ryan Gosling, Eva Mendes, and America Ferrera are said to have done the same. Although the trend is widespread across the United States, among celebrities and non-celebrities alike, it is clearly easier for those with the right resources.

Trump’s Chaotic Term

In recent days, numerous American cities have seen protests against Donald Trump's presidency. The largest took place in Washington, Chicago, and New York, with marches and sit-ins also occurring in many smaller cities. The protests happened during the first weekend immediately following the announcement of the hefty tariffs imposed by Trump, a move that triggered the worst Wall Street downturns in recent years and could cause a sharp rise in inflation in the country, with the real risk of a global recession. Protesters were not only mobilized by this: the many other controversial measures adopted by Trump since the beginning of his term also fueled the unrest. For example, mass layoffs in federal agencies and the elimination of funds have profoundly changed the structure of this essential workforce. Leading these cuts is the Department of Government Efficiency, known by the acronym “DOGE” and headed by Elon Musk.

Among the dozens of executive orders signed by the new American president since his inauguration – less than three months ago – some of the most significant concern immigration. In this area, the most extreme measure is the attempt to revoke the right to citizenship for children of undocumented immigrants – in a country, the United States, where the principle of jus soli has always applied, meaning that anyone born on its soil automatically becomes a citizen. Furthermore, Trump is dismantling government programs dedicated to inclusion and diversity, repealing measures previously introduced to protect trans people in the workplace. In the face of these policies – seen by many observers as chaotic and unpredictable – it’s no surprise that former German chancellor Angela Merkel admitted in her autobiography that she had made a mistake in considering Trump a «normal» person and head of state.